UPDATE: Chris Eyre and SMOKE SIGNALS

(Pictured on left: Smoke Signals/ Pictured on right: Director Chris Eyre in action)

Ok so last night we sat down and watched this wildly popular flick, Smoke Signals, and decided that we... freaking loved it.

It was funny, heart wrenching, truthful, and just an overall great story.

The kicker? It was directed by Chris Eyre, a Native American filmmaker AND starred Native American actors. Was the result a disaster? Was it a boring movie that only focused on Indians doing Indian things like 'hunting buffalo' and 'singing Native songs around a fire' while 'wearing tribal paint and loin cloths'?

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Those for mentioned statements are the common stereotypes that appear in films involving Native Americans. This film was the opposite. It was accurate AND entertaining. The whole package. The real deal.

Eyre did focus on Native Americans, but presented them in a way that was appealing to audiences of all kinds! One of the key reasons that Eyre was so successful was his use of humor!
Eyre confronted the stereotypes and turned them on their head by getting audiences to laugh WITH the Indians rather than AT them.

The film starred Native actors Adam Beach and Evan Adams as the two lead characters, Victor and Thomas. Throughout the film, these two characters have many hilarious exchanges that poke fun at the Native American stereotypes. One scene that we found to be particularly hilarious was the scene on the bus. Victor and Thomas have just ventured off the reservation for the first time on their way to collect Victor's fathers ashes. They just got kicked out of their seats by some racist white men, and Victor is trying to explain to Thomas how to look and act like a real Indian. He explains that in order to be a real Indian, you must look stoic and like you just returned from hunting buffalo. 

This of course is poking fun at the warrior like, savage, stoic stereotypical Indian used in earlier Hollywood films. Eyre clearly is trying to turn the stereotypes upside and make the audience laugh with these lovable characters. 

Thomas and Victor also discuss John Wayne (one of the biggest, well known, Hollywood cowboys and Indian killers. They sing a song about John Waynes teeth and how they don't know if they are real because they never see him smile. Here, Eyre is poking fun at one of the most famous Hollywood Westerners of all time and putting a humorous spin on it so the audience laughs.

To push this hilarity even FURTHER, Thomas and Victor also discuss the film Dances With Wolves (A wildly popular, yet not entirely accurate Kevin Costner film about Indians) clearly acknowledging and putting a humorous spin on an actor and film that heavily influenced the perception of Native Americans in Hollywood.

So through Eyre's use of humor, he creates lovable Indian characters that audiences want to get behind.

These characters were not bumbling fools or savage killers or just plot devices. They WERE the plot! They were funny, charismatic, and the audience wanted them to succeed. 

This flick was excellent, and definitely helped to positively influence the way Indians are viewed in Hollywood.

The film surely demonstrates that Native Americans can create a wonderful commercial product while, at the same time, telling a wonderful story.
I for one believe that this film will only benefit the 'Hollywood Indian', and much of that is thanks to Chris Eyre.

Peace.

-Moose and J-Dog