Powwow Highway

Native American Heritage Month | Buddy Red Bow is struggling, in the face of persecution, by greedy developers and political in-fighting, to keep his nation on a Montana Cheyenne Reservation financially solvent and independent. Philbert, a simple-minded friend of Buddy’s, ardently pursues Native American/First Nation wisdom and lore wherever he can find it–even on Bonanza–in order to earn his warrior name. He’s even got his war pony, Protector: a beat-up old wreck of a car.

Buddy’s sister has been arrested in Santa Fe, and together Buddy and Philbert set off on a road trip to look after her kids and go bail her out. However, Bonnie’s arrest has something strange about it as her friend Rabbit points out. As the miles roll by, Philbert’s faith challenges Buddy’s hard-edged view of the world (and occasional bout of reckless violence), and together they face the realities and dreams of being Cheyenne in the modern-day US as they fight to free Bonnie and her children and elude the Feds.

A selection of the 1989 Sundance Film Festival, and in 2024 was added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.

“One of the reasons we go to movies is to meet people we have not met before. It will be a long time before I forget Farmer, who disappears into the Philbert role so completely we almost think he is this simple, openhearted man – until we learn he’s an actor and teacher from near Toronto. It’s one of the most wholly convincing performances I’ve seen.” —Roger Ebert