Powwow Highway

Plot

A member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe of Lame Deer, Montana, Buddy Red Bow (Martinez), a quick-tempered activist, is battling greedy developers. On the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation he tries to persuade the council to vote against a strip-mining contract.

Philbert Bono (Farmer) is a hulk of a man guided by sacred visions. He wants to find his medicine, tokens from the spirits. He trades some marijuana, booze, and a few bucks for his "war pony" – a rusted out, beat up 1964 Buick Wildcat he names "Protector."

Meanwhile, Buddy's estranged sister, Bonnie, is arrested in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Buddy is the only family member who can help her and her children, Jane and Sky Red Bow.

Buddy does not own a car, so he makes the journey with Philbert. They set out on their road trip, and Philbert's easygoing ways and insistence on frequent stops to pray and eat prove irritating at first to Buddy, but the men reach an understanding as the trip wears on. Along the way, they visit the Black Hills in South Dakota and Philbert reverently leaves a giant Hershey's chocolate bar as an offering to his ancestors.

When they finally reach Santa Fe, they meet up with Bonnie's friend Rabbit. Using inspiration from an old western he sees on TV, Philbert breaks Bonnie out of jail. Their escape almost ends in tragedy, but with a little help they make their way back to Montana.

Music

Several songs by Robbie Robertson, from his 1987 solo album, accompany scenes in the film.

Box office and critical reception

Powwow Highway did poorly at the box office, grossing a mere $283,747, despite mostly positive reviews.

Roger Ebert called Gary Farmer's performance "...one of the most wholly convincing I’ve seen..." Booklist called the sequel novel Sweet Medicine, by David Seals, "a comic masterpiece." In Sweet Medicine, the characters complain about how they were portrayed in the film, and pass on seeing it when they have the chance.

Awards