Powwow Highway & Identity Politics
Identity politics involve political action to advance the interests of a usually suppressed group of people. This is a very prominent issue in the film Powwow Highway. The film highlights two Native American men (Buddy Red Bow and Philbert) who try to preserve the beliefs and customs of their people in a changing world.
The two of these men go about their similar trial in very different manners. Buddy Red Bow uses a more contemporary effort to help with Cheyenne preservation, while Philbert tries his best to stay true to customs and traditions that have been passed down - customs that may carry more weight among the Natives involved, but would be a tough sell to the politicians and corporations involved. During this journey, the two men eventually become somewhat accustomed to the alternative ideas. Buddy Red Bow embraces his faith and the decorated culture of his people, while Philbert involves himself politically to some degree. As the men spend more time with each other on the road, this is much more evident, and it is something that helps the men experience and help their heritage in a much more broad manner.
The only problem I had with this movie is that it seemed to depict strong stereotypes of Native Americans - which may have been slightly more appropriate given the 1989 film release. However in personal experience, my Native friends often compose themselves in a manner that isn't given attention in the movie - a manner that is often shared by people of all cultures. I don't believe this film did justice to identity politics with a bulk of people, including Native Americans. However the political activism and cultural tradition used to fight for preservation was obvious nonetheless, and convey the identity politics which the filmmakers likely wanted to demonstrate.