Being Cheyenne
In the film, "Pow Wow Highway," identity politics concerning what it means to be Cheyenne are at play throughout the film. Our two lead characters, Philbert and Buddy, view what it means to be Cheyenne in different ways. Philbert ascribes to the spirituality and cultural wonders of what it means to be Cheyenne. Throughout the film he is on a sort of vision quest to become "whirlwind dreamer." After talking to a trucker on a radio, he makes the decision to veer off their course to Santa Fe in order to visit "the most sacred place in America." His preconcern with connecting with his spiritual culture is prominent in the film as he tells stories of their culture, refers to things with Cheyenne titles (ie calling his car his war pony), and continuously says "we are Cheyenne" to remind Buddy of where they're coming from. Because of his intense spiritual connection to being Cheyenne, Philbert overlooks the racial stereotypes his people face. In the very beginning, a car salesman dresses up as a Native American and says things like "heap big savings" and "pick out your pony," all of which are lost on Philbert as insults. They are not, however, lost on Buddy.
Buddy's view of being Cheyenne differs from Philbert's in that he focuses defending Native Americans against attack and stereotype, and does not ascribe to it's spiritual values. He tends to fly off the handle at any tiny slight to his people. An obvious example is in the radio store when the salesman is showing them the cheapest radios, and Buddy insists on buying a more expensive one. When he can't get the radio to work, he goes nuts on the clerks and violently insists that he's been cheated. Because of his intense defense of his culture, he overlooks the spiritual benefits that Philbert sees. When Philbert tells an old story of their ancestors, all Buddy can say is "too bad those stories don't tell us how to keep our reservations from turning into sewers." His Cheyenne is keeping the world from harassing his culture, and not so much practicing its spirituality.
The end of this film is a bit ambiguous, but in general both characters finally see the benefits of the other character's viewpoints. Philbert shows this in the way in which he breaks Buddy's sister out of jail ("we'll tie up these bars and pull them off this fucking wall"). This is a demonstration of defending his people against unjustice. Buddy is shown in warrior garb while throwing the window at the police car. This signifies that he has finally ascribed somewhat to the cultural spirituality of the Cheyenne people. Overall, this film plays with identity politics on the road, fulfilling the spirits of both characters.