Cheyenne
Identity politics play a key role in the film Powwow Highway. The best example I can think of for this film is the comparison of Redbow and Philbert in how they relate to their identity of proud Cheyenne. Philbert express his pride in the Cheyenne tribe through spirituality and the preservation of much of traditional lifestyle. This is seen very early on when Philbert's aunt was talking with him and was terribly bother with him for continually asking about the old days and there were multiple times in the movie that Philbert had to make a stop due to reasons significant with the Cheyenne tribe. Redbow had a significantly different way of being Cheyenne. His approach was much more aggressive stemming from a distaste in American government since the Wounded Knee incident. The very first scene you meet Redbow almost leading a crowd of Cheyenne against a man from an oil company. He also holds a very strong importance of the land the Cheyennes live, agrivated with a fellow Cheyenne who was moving to the suburbs for safety reasons of their child. His tactics are much more upfront and blunt, such as when he barged in to see his sister in jail.