Smoke Signals

1. Analyse the image of the reservation portrayed in the film.

The reserve is a landscape of extremely large extension with a set of houses

separated from each other, maintaining the privacy of each house, houses are beautiful
constructions but without any type of ostentation. The population that resides there is
humble and familiar, does not follow the standard of the American society. It could see
that the reserve is the most suitable and safe place for them, who are "trapped" in the
reserve.

2. Comment on the Native American stereotypes represented and how they

are deconstructed.

There is a character that stands out in the film, Thomas is the embodiment of the
Native American stereotype, he is still anchored to the traditions, he is the physical
representation of the stereotyped of Native Americans. On the other hand, Victor is
presented as an opposition, with less physical characteristics of the typical Native
American, even his way of speaking without accent, which counteracts with the way of
speaking of Thomas, who presents a constant rhythm, a narrative rhythm. In addition
Victor goes beyond the reservation.

3. The recreation of a traditional tribal past as it is contemplated in Smoke

Signals.

Smoke signals are one of the oldest forms of communication. The Native
American tribes used this kind of communication for a long time to transmit news, alert
of a possible danger and make a collective call. So, it is easy to find that communication
is a central theme of the movie.
4. Victor and Thomas as the emblems of a new generation of Native
Americans: discuss.

These two characters are of great importance. At first Thomas is rooted in the
past, but as the story of the film unfolds, he approaches the present although it is not a
complete change, it is an approach to the figure of Victor.

Victor undergoes the same process, he represents the idea of the present, but
with the story of Thomas Victor he approaches his culture and his father, his past.

5. Reflect on the ending and the quest undergone by the protagonists.

Finally, Victor ends up forgiving his father, spreading his ashes into the river,
thus the story is closed. Victor's initial image of his father, that alcoholic man who
abandoned his family, changes thanks to the stories that Thomas tells. For that reason
Victor shares with Thomas the ashes of his father, showing in some way the connection
he had with Arnold.

Álvaro Alonso González