Identity Politics, Powwow Highway
Identity politics are made very apparent in the film Powwow Highway. The two main characters, Philbert and Red Bow, both identity as Cheyennes, yet their identity politics are very different. Philbert on the one hand is a very positive person. He looks at his roots and is proud. He doesn't really see the hardships his people have faced, rather he focuses on the positives. He looks for signs and tokens everywhere he goes, and usually he is able to find them. Red Bow on the otherhand, has a very different approach to his roots. He is bitter. Perhaps the different attitudes of the two characters stems from the fact that Red Bow was involved in the Wounded Knee Massacre, and Philbert was not. Red Bow has seen first hand the injustices done to his people. So he lives his life trying to correct those. He is a proud member of AIM, he even wears an AIM shirt at times in the movie. He has allowed his experience with politics to shape him. Philbert has too, but his experience has not been as bad as Red Bow's, so his outlooks tend to be more positive.