Powwow Highway

America is such a melting pot that many cultures celebrate Christmas even if it is not part of their native faith. One such culture is the Native American. Powwow Highway depicts a few days in the the lives of some modern day Cheyenne, where during the holiday season some characters reacquaint themselves with their native traditions. The two main protagonists are played by Gary Farmer and A. Martinez.


Philbert Bono (Farmer) is a bit simple and has a rose-colored view of native life, and seems more in tune with the old ways. His friend Buddy Red Bow (Martinez), a Vietnam veteran, is more hardened, bitter and realistic about their poverty, discrimination and oppression.

When Buddy's sister Bonnie is arrested for possession of a large bundle of marijuana, Buddy asks Philbert to drive to get her out of jail. But instead of heading for Santa Fe, Philbert goes to South Dakota where there is a Christmas powwow. Slowly, the embittered Buddy becomes more reacquainted with his culture. His sister's kids too, begin to learn a little about their culture.

The government, police, and most "white men" characters were portrayed as too negative and discriminatory, even when they didn't need to be, and therefore the film felt unbalanced. The main characters break someone out of jail and commits grand larceny too, which the film treats as righteous and a bit humorous. While it brings up some social commentary, the story doesn't dig too deep into it, nor offers a balanced view, nor offers any real solution, and I feel this is essence more a road movie.

Although the character of Philbert was written a bit too simple-minded, the performance by Gary Farmer is the film's heart more than the character played by A. Martinez, and gives the story more realism about native people. Graham Greene has an atypical but good small role as a wounded veteran.