tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post1941126554818512833..comments2023-03-27T01:30:15.738-07:00Comments on HUSH 2012: Smoke SignalsWendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04058986375066112166noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-20112414940698436722012-02-29T05:08:53.191-08:002012-02-29T05:08:53.191-08:00I also agree that this scene showed the barrier be...I also agree that this scene showed the barrier between the whites and Native Americans. When the white men on the bus were rude to Victor and Thomas it demonstrates the cultural misunderstanding. Neither groups of people had much respect towards one another. Victor believes that a real Indian needs to look tough. In this specific bus situation, this does not work. The white men also add comments about a pow-wow. Victor and Thomas try to be polite but the two men show no kindness or even respect to them.Elaine Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05198749238040339110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-61631935084514987932012-02-29T04:57:43.005-08:002012-02-29T04:57:43.005-08:00I agree with Sierra that this secene is the most c...I agree with Sierra that this secene is the most compelling scene in the movie. When the police officer racially profiles the Indians by jumping to the conclusion that they were lying and the white man was telling the truth.Rob Bongiolattihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12740489469622990781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-55386062785764703832012-02-27T05:38:03.007-08:002012-02-27T05:38:03.007-08:00This was an interesting scene that I almost forgot...This was an interesting scene that I almost forgot about. I agree with Rachael, this situation can be relatable to situations in today’s society. The movie also demonstrated that it does not matter the race, people are people and everyone messes up. Alcohol can do the same destruction to a person, Native American or white American. In the video, this can clearly be shown in the car crash scene. Just as Victor's father had drinking issues that caused his family pain, the white man who crashed the car was drunk. He nearly killed his family because of it.Elaine Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05198749238040339110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-29783329511363557422012-02-27T05:37:59.416-08:002012-02-27T05:37:59.416-08:00This scene did indeed show much cultural misunders...This scene did indeed show much cultural misunderstanding, due to the fact that the policeman called in the two men and questioned them even after the wife assured the officer that her husband was in the wrong. Although it did show that there is hope for those of a certain power may show more justice towards those of all races, because he indeed let them go even though he had his doubts. This was also a very important scene because it did show that not everyone treated those of this minority badly because the drunk man’s wife, and the two other women were nothing but kind to Victor and Thomas and showed their gratitude.Rachaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18406285279594436210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-90391029039095225272012-02-27T05:37:42.648-08:002012-02-27T05:37:42.648-08:00I think that Emily makes a very valid point. I bel...I think that Emily makes a very valid point. I believe that this shows how the American's view the Indians as "drunks" and how that White man is usually always right. I think that when Victor told the police that the white man was drunk and belligerent he did believe him at first. This was because the police views the Indians as drunks. When Victor tells the police that he has never had a sip of alcohol in his life and the police questions "what kind of Indian are you?" it definitely categorizes the Indians. I also agree with Emily when she says that the police got the letter from the White drunk man's wife saying that he was drunk and a asshole. This shows that the police will take whites words over the Indians.Luisa Meharghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08767389201081905709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-54089269877046783782012-02-27T05:35:45.546-08:002012-02-27T05:35:45.546-08:00I agree with your most compelling scene that when ...I agree with your most compelling scene that when Thomas and Victor speak with the gymnast during the bus ride there was a major cultural misunderstanding. The gymnast wanted Victor and Thomas to pity her because she was not a starter on the US Olympic team. The fact that the gymnast had the opportunity to try out to be on the Olympic team was greater than any opportunity Victor or Thomas had ever had. You described the cultural misunderstanding between the gymnast and the Indians perfectly. I completely agree with your claim that the Americans were materialistic and sheltered while the Indians are forced to struggle and adjust to new lands. This shows the cultural misunderstanding that Americans felt that the Indians could sympathize for them, which, as you stated, would not reasonably happen.Emily Protzmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01552103758570379953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-10223252444502282052012-02-27T05:33:01.570-08:002012-02-27T05:33:01.570-08:00I agree with Kelly’s thoughts on the American vers...I agree with Kelly’s thoughts on the American versus Native American basketball game scene. It was made clear by Arnold Joseph’s comment about the Americans having the apostles on their side that there was cultural and religious tension between the Native Americans and the Americans. The Americans believed in god, while the Native Americans believed in worshipping nature. The most significant example of cultural misunderstanding in this scene was the lie that Arnold Joseph told Suzy about his son making the winning basket. Arnold was proud and excited that the Indians had won for once. This lie shows that the Native Americans could only dream of a victory over the Americans.Joey Janicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00527330818451340253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-67359610483642698112012-02-27T05:32:14.663-08:002012-02-27T05:32:14.663-08:00When Thomas and Victor are on the bus and their se...When Thomas and Victor are on the bus and their seats are taken by two white men, I agree that this shows cultural understanding. The arrogant white men take what the Native Americans have, similar to the U.S. government taking Indian land, there was nothing for Thomas and Victor to do but fight; they did not want to be kicked off the bus so they found another seat, similar to being put on a reservation. This scene is an analogy to the past, it portrays the cultural misunderstanding that has always existed between each culture; neither the white Americans nor the Native Americans understood each other’s cultural backgrounds and because they are so different the difference was not reconciled at the end of the film.Bri Genarellihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12492596917443854333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-7458776606910092212012-02-27T05:30:44.104-08:002012-02-27T05:30:44.104-08:00I agree with Ryan's statement completely, due ...I agree with Ryan's statement completely, due to the mere fact that similar behaviors have happened overtime, not only with Native Americans but with those of other races. This shows the ignorance and arrogance certain races show towards certain minorities. This not only shows simple discourteousness, but on a deeper level what has happened to those of this ethnic group several times throughout history.Rachaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18406285279594436210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-81439380967166529082012-02-27T05:27:22.115-08:002012-02-27T05:27:22.115-08:00I think the entire basketball scene can be interpr...I think the entire basketball scene can be interpreted as a metaphor which represents the struggle of the Native Americans as they were oppressed by the United States government and citizens. In this game, Victor has to deal with obvious disadvantages, being very young and much shorter than the two grown men he's playing against. Regardless of these drawbacks, however, Victor and his father do everything in their power to beat the Jesuits. Despite their efforts, they still lose the game. There are several clear similarities between this basketball game and the removal of Native Americans during Westward Expansion. The natives were outgunned in almost every situation and had little chance of successfully resisting. Despite this, they did all they could to try and fend off white Americans, but were still unsuccessful in the end.Ryan Gannonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02277096658478535796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-39111936785466927002012-02-27T05:26:39.752-08:002012-02-27T05:26:39.752-08:00I agree with Marisa that the scene with the two re...I agree with Marisa that the scene with the two reservation girls is compelling. It highlights the differences in trade between the Americans and Native Americans as Victor and Thomas trade a story for a ride, oppose to the Americans who would have traded money or a materialistic value for a ride. This shows that Native Americans rely on oral traditions to pass on information, and oral traditions typically skew the information being passed on over time. This is demonstrated by the untruthfulness in Thomas' story. <br />I agree with Marisa that Thomas' story also portrays the Native American desire for their own culture as he focuses on the Indian Dress and war paint through the defeat.AshleyIndrisekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16263924500136926709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-24593789569390581072012-02-27T05:26:10.069-08:002012-02-27T05:26:10.069-08:00Dan, your description of this scene highlights how...Dan, your description of this scene highlights how one may depict the different lifestyles of each culture. Your analysis of the gymnist's words are what caught my attention. While watching the scene, I also believed that the girl was complaining about her problems, while Victor was becoming upset by this because in his mind, he is a noble Indian who does not complain about his problems. He insults the girl greatly and Thomas simply doesn't understand. This is a great example of cultural misunderstanding because there is a conflict between Victor and the girl due to differences in culture.Ryan Beckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04139790599159980266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-37628941502201567712012-02-27T05:23:37.001-08:002012-02-27T05:23:37.001-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.AshleyIndrisekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16263924500136926709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-1497633087864328522012-02-27T05:22:11.929-08:002012-02-27T05:22:11.929-08:00I feel that the overall most compelling scene from...I feel that the overall most compelling scene from the film "Smoke Signals" was when Victor threw beer bottles at the back of his father's truck as his parents were sleeping. In this scene Victor’s mother awakens to a loud noise and begins looking out the window, watching her son throw the bottles at the truck. She notices that her husband’s behavior has been the cause of a lot of the heartbreak her son is subjected to. This causes her to grow angry with Arnold, and ends in a physical altercation and him leaving later on. This is the first time Victor’s mother shows anger and impatience towards the situation. This entire scene shows maybe why Victor is so angry and has a negative attitude towards life, and his father. Overall this scene is most significant because it displays what truly has happened to Victor and what has had shaped him into the person that he is today. I found this to be relatable to events that occur in society today, and to those that have occurred in my life. This shows that Native Americans and White Americans may not be as different as once thought to be. In fact, this shows that families of both nationalities can feel the pain that alcoholism can be the cause of, and that the children can be impacted directly by a parent’s poor choice in judgment. This is among the several horrid memories Victor had of his father. These negative memories have had a lasting impact on Victor's opinions of his father, so when he is subjected to having to hear the good things that Thomas had to say about Arnold Joseph before his abrupt departure from the Indian Reservation, seemed to be fictional in Victor’s eyes. Thomas, being an outsider looking into the situation, made several unnecessary comments and asked several questions regarding Victor’s family’s situation, disregarding Victor’s feelings. I feel that this is one of the most important scenes in the film because it is the explanation of a lot of the hurt Victor has felt, and why Thomas and Victor don’t necessarily get along.Rachaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18406285279594436210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-71900560524333760552012-02-27T05:20:30.041-08:002012-02-27T05:20:30.041-08:00I find this analysis of the scene quite compelling...I find this analysis of the scene quite compelling. It is strange how the way American's once thought indians were; savage, violent and mean, is exactly what Victor strives to be now whereas his ancestors only wished to live out their lives in peace, maybe even assimilate and coesxist with the invading Europeans.d_musolinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03393470348742184097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-10841237505225546012012-02-27T05:20:28.344-08:002012-02-27T05:20:28.344-08:00I agree to Mary’s idea of one of the most compelli...I agree to Mary’s idea of one of the most compelling scenes in this movie being the basketball game that Arnold Joseph once described. It was him and his son, Victor, against two Jesuits, There is definitely a lot of cultural misunderstanding presented in this scene that is described. The Indians believed that the Jesuits where using religion to blind them during the game so they could win. They believed the Jesuits were using religion against them. Arnold says that by “the way that they were playing, I coulda' swore they had seven outta twelve apostles on their side." Arnold believed that the other team had a very unfair advantage, just like how the Indians felt about the Westward Expansion. Arnold did not understand the Jesuits way of prayer, as the Jesuits did not understand the Indians religion fully. The whites won again no matter how much the Arnold wanted to believe that the Indians to win. This is exactly what happened during the expansion.Ellie Mottahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10829307397954799573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-43931295715829636722012-02-27T05:18:59.214-08:002012-02-27T05:18:59.214-08:00I agree that this scene demonstrated cultural misu...I agree that this scene demonstrated cultural misunderstanding. When the whites took the seats of Victor and Thomas shows the way that the Indians were mistreated and disrespected when they were promised to always have lands on the West. However these lands were later taken over by the whites. This also happens on the bus when the Indians seats are taken over by the whites. Even when Victor and Thomas show their tough traditional “warrior look” they still are disrespected and don’t get their seats back. This shows the cultural misunderstanding of the power and ownership of property that were very different among Native Americans and whites. The Native Americans believe that they don’t justification that they owned something, whereas the whites believed that if there was no justification of ownership that anyone could overtake.Isabelle Binstadthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07766895969467322387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-9746451051724962852012-02-27T05:17:14.476-08:002012-02-27T05:17:14.476-08:00I agree with your most compelling scene of Victor ...I agree with your most compelling scene of Victor and his father playing basketball against the Jesuits was a cultural misunderstanding. The Indians and the Jesuits brought their religion into the game and were playing for something greater than just winning. When the Jesuits said that they were “’beating them like a possessed demon’” it showed that even after the white men forced the Indians to attend Christian schools and forced them to abandon their traditions and live on reservations, they still believed that they were controlled by demons. This exemplifies cultural misunderstanding because the Jesuits believe the Indians were demons because their cultural differences.Emily Protzmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01552103758570379953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-7603843097444208212012-02-27T05:16:54.947-08:002012-02-27T05:16:54.947-08:00I agree with your claim that the Native Americans ...I agree with your claim that the Native Americans were discriminated against in this scene. I think that cultural misunderstanding was present during the initial scene of the car crash. Though I'm sure the male driver was perfectly aware that he had been the cause of the accident, he believed that he could pass off the crime, primarily because Victor and Thomas were Native Americans. The wife of the driver had been logical enough to be honest with the police, which I believe was the reason Victor and Thomas were not charged. This displays cultural misunderstanding because Indians are stereotyped and discriminated against by Americans, which easily could have allowed a guilty man to unjustly appear innocent.Rachel Rubinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18219457235570555855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-91819334429774415062012-02-27T05:15:59.660-08:002012-02-27T05:15:59.660-08:00In this particular case, the cultural misunderstan...In this particular case, the cultural misunderstanding is directed towards the Americans from Victor’s point of view. It was wrong of him to categorize Americans into awful, untrustworthy people, especially the gymnast. Yes, her problems don’t even begin to compare to the problems of the Native Americans. Victor is upset that she is not grateful for what she has, she takes her life for granted. The daily life for the Indians for the past century has been miserable compared to some Americans. Even though they are as foreign as any other culture or country, they are treated as second class citizens. I agree with Joey’s idea that the Americans and Indians have different values. Most Americans are born into society without having the hardships that the Indians have in the reservation. There is not much to look forward to in the reservations nor is there much success, this is one the reasons why there are so many alcoholics that never move on and progress out of the Reservation. If they want to stay true to their culture, then it would be difficult to do so and move away from their home, however there are limited resources within the reservations for a successful life. Americans on the other hand strive for success, their entire youth is geared towards education so they can continue to prepared for college and eventually their career. Victor believes the gymnast, although not on the A team for the Olympics, has reached this success and as Joey said, is selfish for complaining about such a minor issue.harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00485235318823494615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-51222446187576720062012-02-27T05:15:28.591-08:002012-02-27T05:15:28.591-08:00I agree with Marisa about how the economic status ...I agree with Marisa about how the economic status differences between the Whites and the Native Americans. The Indians barter which mean that they are trustworthy to the other Indians and are honorable to their word. It also shows how the White man society is based on wealth in terms of money. This shows the cultural misunderstanding of how the Indians and Whites view "wealth", and how they have a different opinions of how to control their economy. I also agree with Marisa about how Thomas was very passionate when telling his story which shows that the Indians are proud of their heritage with Whites only look to thier future.Luisa Meharghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08767389201081905709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-2847822467436552132012-02-27T05:12:18.286-08:002012-02-27T05:12:18.286-08:00This is a very compelling scene from "Smoke S...This is a very compelling scene from "Smoke Signals". This scene does show the cultural differences of the Native Americans and the American public. The gymnast tells stories of her disappointing Olympic career while Victor interjects her story by criticizing her struggles. Victor does not sympathize for her struggles because her hardships do not come close the oppressions that the Indians perpetually encounter.Matt Gallagherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08074127932067518546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-29671622367425165772012-02-27T05:12:07.296-08:002012-02-27T05:12:07.296-08:00I agree with Harry's opinion that the scene in...I agree with Harry's opinion that the scene in which the police officer request to know Victor's origin accentuates cultural misunderstanding. The use of the words "what kind" demonstrates how the Americans viewed the Indians as a species instead of humans. When the police officer continues to ask whether Victor had been drinking emphasizes how the Americans did not understand the Indians. Americans assumed that the Indians who lived on reservations were alcoholics. This unfair stereotype almost caused Victor to be accused of a crime that he did not commit.Kelly Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15821218268592136766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-73729650068772203732012-02-27T05:12:04.081-08:002012-02-27T05:12:04.081-08:00I agree with your statement that Indians bartered ...I agree with your statement that Indians bartered traditionally, whereas Americans relied on money to purchase goods. The trading of a story for a ride, rather than money or merchandise, shows the value that the Indians put on oral traditions. A story wouldn’t have much value or worth to an American, but I believe they are so valuable to the Indians because they have had so much of their culture and history taken away from them. As hard as they try, Americans can’t prevent the spread of oral history. I believe the girls said that Victor and Thomas would "need a vaccination to leave the res” because they believed the outside world of Americans was dangerous in many ways. I believe they meant it literally, in the sense that the boys could get sick from foreign substances, and metaphorically, in the sense that the Americans are dangerous people. This shows how sheltered the Indians are on the reservation.Joey Janicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00527330818451340253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1821283118561783107.post-74695420715241329362012-02-27T05:11:45.439-08:002012-02-27T05:11:45.439-08:00In response to Isabelle’s most compelling scene, I...In response to Isabelle’s most compelling scene, I agree. I believe that there is a lot of cultural misunderstanding in this scene and it is very interesting. The police officer found it very odd that Victor has “never had a drop of alcohol” in his life. The stereo typical view of Indians is that they all drink and at a very young age. The police officer, when he heard the accusations of Victor being drunk and violent, did not find the situation unusual. Then after reading the wife’s response that says that the husband is barbaric, he realizes that the situation is untrue. This scene presents a lot of misunderstandings that are somewhat reconciled at the end of the scene when the police officer finds the story farfetched.Ellie Mottahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10829307397954799573noreply@blogger.com