We are Cheyenne
In the film Powwow Highway, the characters of Philbert and Redbow have very opposite values and beliefs when it comes to identifying with their culture and their heritage. Philbert identifies with being Cheyenne in terms of his culture and the historical background of his tribe. Philbert takes his values and moral systems from the culture and heritage of the Cheyenne and relies heavily on his culture for support and guidance in life. This more spiritual side is one aspect that Redbow has difficulty understanding and coming to terms with. In the film, we really only hear Philbert stating, "We are Cheyenne". Philbert constantly expresses pride for his culture. However, it seems as if Redbow is lost and has really lost sight of what it means to be Cheyenne - he has lost his connections with the culture. For Redbow, he definitely identifies with being Cheyenne but seemingly only on the surface where he is fighting politically for his people but does not really understand what he is fighting for. Redbow is always so eager to pick fights and has the shortest temper when it comes to being Cheyenne. He explodes when the slightest insult is given. While Redbow certainly has pride and defends his identity with being Cheyenne it is only when he goes on the road trip with Philbert that he begins to remember why he gets so angry about and what he is fighting for. While he resists Philbert at first thinking rather that Philbert doesn't understand what being Cheyenne means in the world today (discrimination, marginalization) he slowly opens up to what his culture truly is - he dances in the powwow and he joins Philbert singing in the river. By the end of the film, Redbow has a new conscious and definition of what it means to be Cheyenne.