Quote Sheet For “Smoke Signals”/Farnham

Quote Sheet for Smoke Signals

“Don’t you even know how to be a real Indian?” “I guess I have to teach you…first, get stoic, you gotta look mean or people won’t respect you. You’ve got to be a warrior. You’ve got to look like you just came back from killing buffalo. Second, you gotta know how to use your hair. An Indian man ain’t nothing without his hair. Last, you gotta get rid of that suit.” Victor to Thomas

“I’m trying to have a vision.” Thomas to Arnold Joseph

“Everything went up in flames in that fire.” – Victor to Thomas

“You don’t know anything about your father, Thomas, you don’t even know who you are.” Victor to Thomas

Victor:White people won't respect you if you don't look mean. You have to look like a warrior, like you just got back from killing a buffalo. Thomas: But our tribe never hunted buffalo. We were fishermen. Victor: What, you want to look like you just caught a fish? This isn't Dances with Salmon, you know!

Grandma Builds-the-Fire: You saved Thomas. You did a good thing. Arnold Joseph: I didn't mean to. Thomas Builds-the-Fire: Hey Victor! I'm sorry 'bout your dad. Victor Joseph: How'd you hear about it? Thomas Builds-the-Fire: I heard it on the wind. I heard it from the birds. I felt it in the sunlight. And your mom was just in here cryin'. Thomas Builds-the-Fire: Hey, Victor! Thomas Builds-the-Fire: How do we forgive our fathers? Maybe in a dream. Do we forgive our fathers for leaving us too often, or forever, when we were little? Maybe for scaring us with unexpected rage, or making us nervous because there never seemed to be any rage there at all? Do we forgive our fathers for marrying, or not marrying, our mothers? Or divorcing, or not divorcing, our mothers? And shall we forgive them for their excesses of warmth or coldness? Shall we forgive them for pushing, or leaning? For shutting doors or speaking through walls? For never speaking, or never being silent? Do we forgive our fathers in our age, or in theirs? Or in their deaths, saying it to them or not saying it. If we forgive our fathers, what is left? [Thomas concludes his story he is trading for a ride] Thomas Builds-the-Fire: Arnold got arrested, you know. But he got lucky. They charged him with attempted murder. Then they plea-bargained that down to assault with a deadly weapon. Then they plea-bargained that down to being an Indian in the Twentieth Century. Then he got two years in Walla-Walla. Lucy: [to Velma] What do you think? Velma: I think it's a fine example of the oral tradition. [laughs] [Victor, Thomas and Suzy watch an old western] Thomas Builds-the-Fire: The only thing more pathetic than Indians on TV is Indians watching Indians on TV. Victor Joseph: Thomas, you are so full of shit. Thomas Builds-the-Fire: Geez, Victor... I guess the warrior look doesn't work every time. Thomas Builds-the-Fire: Sometimes it's a good day to die, and sometimes it's a good day to have breakfast. Randy Peone: It's a good day to be indigenous! Victor Joseph: You gotta look mean or people won't respect you. White people will run all over you if you don't look mean. You gotta look like a warrior! You gotta look like you just came back from killing a buffalo! Thomas Builds-the-Fire: But our tribe never hunted buffalo - we were fishermen. Victor Joseph: What! You want to look like you just came back from catching a fish? This ain't "Dances With Salmon" you know! [Thomas and Victor try to hitch a ride with Velma and Lucy] Velma: Hey Thomas, need a ride? Thomas Builds-the-Fire: Yeah! Velma: What are goin' to trade for it. We're Indians, remember. We barter! Thomas Builds-the-Fire: A story? Lucy: Better be good. [Velma and Lucy drop Thomas and Victor at the bus station] Velma: You guys got your passports? Thomas Builds-the-Fire: Passports? Velma: Yeah, you're leavin' the rez and goin' into a whole different country, cousin. Thomas Builds-the-Fire: But... but, it's the United States. Lucy: D**** right it is! That's as foreign as it gets. Hope you two have your vaccinations. [All laugh] Randy Peone: Good morning, this is Randy Peone on KREZ radio, the voice of the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation. And it's time for the morning traffic report on this rainy Bicentennial Fourth of July. Let's go out to Lester Fallsapart in the KREZ traffic van broken down at the crossroads. Lester Fallsapart: Big truck just went by... now it's gone. Randy Peone: Well, there you go folks. Looks like another busy morning. Victor Joseph: Thomas, don't you even know how to be a real Indian? How many times have you seen "Dances with Wolves" anyways? 100... 200 times? Oh jesus Thomas, you have seen it that many times? Arlene Joseph: If you leave here don't you ever come back. You hear me? Victor Joseph: Dad don't go. Thomas Builds-the-Fire: Your father saved my life Victor Joseph: Thomas you don't even know my father. Did you know that my father was the one that set your parent's house on fire? Did you know that my father beat my mother? Did you know that my father beat me too? Thomas Builds-the-Fire: All I know is that when your father left your mother lost you too. Victor Joseph: Thomas I wish that fire had killed you. Thomas Builds-the-Fire: Victor LOOK OUT!

Police Chief: This man apparently wants to press charges against you. He said and I "you assaulted him and pushed him to the ground". Victor Joseph: That's bull****. Police Chief: Mr. Joseph there's no need for that type of language. Mr. Johnson's wife Holly says he's, and I quote, "a complete ***hole". Thomas Builds-the-Fire: You know there are some children who aren't really children at all, they're just pillars of flame that burn everything they touch. And there are some children who are just pillars of ash, that fall apart when you touch them... Victor and me, we were children of flame and ash.

Grandma Builds-the-Fire: You saved Thomas. You did a good thing. Arnold Joseph: I didn't mean to.

Thomas Builds-the-Fire: Sometimes it's a good day to die, sometimes it's a good day to have breakfast.

Victor Joseph: Quit grinning like an idiot. Indians aint supposed to smile like that! Get stoic, like this. You gotta look mean or people won't respect you.

Thomas Builds-the-Fire: I guess your warrior look doesn't work every time. Victor Joseph: Shut up Thomas!

Thomas Builds-the-Fire: You know the only thing more pathetic than Indians on T.V.? Indians watching Indians on T.V.!

Suzy Song: He didn't mean to die here he wanted to go home; he always wanted to go home.

Thomas Builds-the-Fire: And then I told Victor I thought we were all traveling heavy with illusions.

Thomas Builds-the-Fire: You know, you got it all wrong; maybe you don't know who you are.

Thomas Builds-the-Fire: You make your mom cry. Victor Joseph: Shut up Thomas! Thomas Builds-the-Fire: You make your mom cry. Your dad left her sure, but you left her too, but what you did was worse, you stayed there.

Victor Joseph: I don't drink, never had a drop of alcohol in my life, not a drop. Sheriff: What kind of Indian are you?

Victor Joseph: I can't believe we got outta that guy's office alive Thomas Builds-the-Fire: Yeah, I guess your warrior look does work sometimes.

Thomas Builds-the Fire: Victor I am going to make one more trip to the river and I am going to toss these in and your Dad's ashes will rise and rise into the heavens, just like the salmon. Victor Joseph: (laughing) Funny I was thinking about doing the same thing myself. I mean I never thought of my dad like a salmon but it would be just like cleaning out the attic, like throwing things away when they have no more use.

Thomas Builds-the-Fire: Hey Victor, do you know why your dad really left? Victor Joseph: Yeah. He didn't mean to Thomas.