Better Late Than Never.
Jonathan Wack's Powwow Highway is interesting in its fusion of identity politics, drama, and humor. It contains moments that seem to exemplify the rage and frustration that can arise from being subjected to a corrupt, and apathetic dominating culture. The ending of the film, however, feels to me to be very reminiscent of a Hollywood film, in it that it comes across as pretty peachy. Redbow (the politically minded, and now spiritually awakened Native American) and company (his sister and her multiracial kids, and a open minded and understanding white woman) escape from the police, while Philbert is presumed dead in a car crash.
Only for Philbert to have narrowly escaped a tragic accidental death, and (surprise!) now we have a happy ending. For me this seems like putting a band-aid over an amputated limb, insomuch as this creates a much more fantastic (in the formal "remote from reality" sense) ending, and seems to patch over aspects from... oh say the last 500 years of European's occupation of America, to give a false hope for the ancient spiritualist to have the last laugh.
However, I realize that this is also coming from a self-loathing non-native American, and that the ending does capture a certain hope, that despite its impracticality does provide an example of how things could improve not only for not only Native American Identity politics, but also for all marginalized people in the world.