Good morning.
Don't have much today, but I've got eggs, sausage, potatoes,
and pancakes.
WOMAN: Hey, Postoak?
There's a big mess in the shitter. You're up.
TEACHER: Welcome back to the land of the living, Bear.
- What'd I miss, bro? - The whole class.
Talking in your sleep, talking about your Hammer. Fuck.
No, I'm just tired from work, bro.
Graduation is around the corner.
You might remember a little experiment from your freshman year.
We asked you to write yourself a letter talking about your goals,
- your dreams... - Oh, you remember? Shit.
It's a letter from you, to you. Read them.
Fuck, yeah, man. Still a G.
- Let me read yours. - No.
-(SPEAKS IN LOCAL LANGUAGE) - All right.
"When I grow up, I wanna be a famous rapper.
"Just like my daddy."
Yeah, you cannot say anything, bro.
Look. "I wanna be a wizard when I grow up."
- Fuck you, I still wanna be the wizard. -(BELL RINGING)
Let's go, let's go.
Willie Jack? One second?
- Shit. Fuck I do? - You in trouble.
BOY: Deuces, bro.
(STUDENTS CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY)
I'm sorry.
This is Daniel's.
You're his cousin, I thought you should have it.
Okay.
Thank you.
- What's up, girl? -'Sup?
You're quiet today.
Just one of 'em days.
What kind of day is that?
Same one, over and over.
Time, line up!
Good shot.
(BUZZER SOUNDS)
WOMAN: Psst.
Fuck.
(SIGHS)
Thought you were gone for good.
Where'd you go?
Somebody quit working with their medicine.
You know, ignoring your responsibilities is ignoring your ancestors?
And nobody likes to be ignored.
Also, if you must know, I got me a grandpa spirit.
He died at Little Bighorn.
Spirit-sex is way better.
God, lasts so much longer.
- Gross. - Heylah, it's natural.
You can go back to spirit hunching. I don't need you here.
Mmm-mmm.
(WHISPERS) Today is a big day.
Same as every other day.
I don't think so.
You felt it. Why else am I here?
- You tuned in today. - I didn't mean to.
Can I tune back out?
No.
We got a lot of eyes on this place today.
Spirits.
They like to watch.
Shit.
Spirits.
Freaks.
Hokti.
You've got a visitor. Name not on the list.
What's the name?
Everything looks in order.
Are you a convicted felon?
No.
Are you currently incarcerated?
No?
(BUZZER SOUNDS)
Hey, hey.
I did a hero dose of mushrooms once. Fucked me up.
Spent the night in jail naked as a jaybird.
I think I saw God.
Cool.
It wasn't that cool. It was jail just like this.
You know why we built jails, don't you?
Who?
White people, of course. Indians didn't have a jails.
Word. No shit.
No shit. People who built this, had lost their way.
You remember that.
Okay, then.
Being separated from your family is a bitch.
It ain't natural.
I come here to see my daughter.
Word. That's why I'm here. To see my family.
They may not know it, they may not want it,
but your coming here to visit them, it's the most important thing you can do
to somebody that's locked up in a place like this.
I don't know why I'm here, man. I haven't been happy with her.
Just feels like I needed to do something, so, I'm doing it.
That's a risk. But you're listening to your heart.
That's good.
You a guru, a philosopher, or something?
No. I'm not a philosopher.
I'm just an old hippie dude that's done a lot of acid.
Makes you think.
When you're my age, there's a lot to think about.
I live by a few rules.
Be kind to those that you're closest to.
Wear a good hat and a good pair of boots.
A good hat helps hide what you're doing from the Lord above,
and good boots, they help you outrun the Devil.
Slides work?
- Oh, fuck, yeah. - All right.
MAN: (OVER PA) Wilhelmina Jacqueline?
Toes behind the yellow line. Arms up.
- All right, you know the rules? - No.
You're allowed two small moments of contact.
You can hug or a small kiss on the cheek, or both.
You can only do this at the beginning of your visit and at the end.
Two moments, got it?
Could you repeat that again?
Just kidding.
Why's everyone so serious?
WOMAN: I didn't want to bring it up. It's in the past.
We can leave it there. Put down the burden.
I came to the couples' counseling for you, baby.
- I love you. - I love you.
Hands.
We only get to touch twice in here?
Just speak my truth. I'm leaving her.
But I'm not letting her control me. I am not hurt.
No, you're not hurt.
How do I know you're not cheating on me?
So?
How you doing?
You're shitting me.
Well, everyone's doing good at home.
Um...
Mom and Dad say hi.
Kidding. They didn't say that.
My dad tried convincing me not to come here.
They've no clue that I'm here, though.
Me and Bear are gonna graduate this year.
Daniel would have been right with us.
But you knew that.
Cheese moved in with an old lady.
Can I get some paper?
- Just paper, that's it? - Yeah.
You gonna take some notes, or what?
There's no smoking in here.
I'm just going through the motions.
Helps with the stress.
So, what's this about Cheese dating an old lady?
Fuck you mean, "dating an old lady?" I didn't say that.
Well,
she thought she was his grandma, which turned out, that she wasn't.
And now, she became his grandma.
Not the weirdest thing I've ever heard.
Mmm-hmm.
Elora's grandma, Mabel, died.
- ...smells like another man's cock! - I'm all caught up.
If my truth smells like dick, your truth smells like slore.
What the fuck even is that?
A "slut-whore" mix.
Hey, you want me to use it in a sentence? "Your mother is a slore."
Hey, everyone, hands on table. Palms up.
We'll get this matter resolved. Let's go.
Hey, try not to have any more secret kids.
- We're married. They're your kids, too! - That don't make sense!
- They need their mom! - Asshole!
You're all a bunch of slores!
- She's the best. - Fuck you!
You may resume your visitation.
Why are you here?
This is a letter Daniel wrote to himself in freshman year.
A time capsule assignment.
All his dreams and shit.
I think you should have it.
I don't want it.
Well, what if I read it to you?
I haven't read it yet.
It could probably help us.
- It'd be like healing. - I said, "No."
Shit like this is why none of you are on my visitors' list.
I look at you and I see him, you understand?
Yeah, I do.
But you're not the only one that's affected by this.
No one's the same.
I miss my friends,
and I miss you, too.
The version I remember of you when I was little.
Remember, I used to always come to you whenever I'd get hurt?
Which was rare.
I always remember, you made things better.
Daniel was the same way.
I used to think you are so powerful. Like a wizard.
And now...
...you'd rather be fucking miserable, man.
All you elders, don't even wanna talk to me,
avoiding shit all the fucking time.
No wonder why my mom and dad didn't want me to come here.
Fuck me. Fine.
When you ask someone for advice, you should bring a gift.
Tobacco, sweetgrass, cedar, anything works.
Food's best.
People are a lot more open when they have food.
They won't let me take food in here. Fuck.
They'll think I'm trying to hustle shit.
How much cash you got?
I got 10 bucks up my sock.
Well...
I'm real addicted to them Flaming Flamers.
Me, too.
Well, let's go, then.
You're gonna just keep looking over my shoulder this whole time?
Smiling all creepy, acting all happy.
Goodbye sucks.
I walked the Trail of Tears and I smiled more than you.
Come on, then. Tell me what's wrong.
You brought me the offerings. Let's go.
Well, Bear and Elora don't talk anymore.
Well, we hangout,
but it's like they're just trying to be polite.
Cheese is always with his new grandma all the time, which is good.
I don't know, man.
It's like... I just feel like we're broken up.
Like,
we're supposed to be the dream team.
Fucking Rez Dogs.
Friends grow apart.
This ain't like that.
It's like everyone's walking around in the sunshine,
and we're just in the darkness.
Bear and Elora, especially.
Come on.
Put your hands upon the table, like we just did.
Close your eyes.
- We're gonna have a little prayer. -(SIGHS)
I need your help.
- What? - Not you. Keep your eyes shut.
Eyes closed, no matter what happens, okay?
Let's focus on the dark.
Take long, slow breaths.
Good.
Just listen to your breathing for a second.
Remember the stories I told you when you were growing up?
About the people we come from.
Generations of medicine people.
Caretakers.
(MAN SINGING IN LOCAL LANGUAGE)
These are the ones
who held us together as we arrived from our homelands.
The healers who carried us and buried us as we marched.
The men and women whose songs led us through the dark.
They're watching you, my girl.
You don't need me. You have them.
This is the power we carry.
When you really pray, they're all around you.
All the time.
Oh, shit.
(EXHALES)
Takes focus, though.
Intent.
(SINGING CONTINUES)
(SNIFFLES)
Open your eyes.
(EXHALES)
Holy fuck.
Oh, shit.
Oh, fuck.
I spent a lot of energy trying to fix Danny.
Instead, I took on his pain.
And we shared it.
You can't love someone out of hurting themselves, though.
I was so focused on Danny,
so focused on myself, that I couldn't see.
You can't help people who don't wanna be helped.
I learned that the hard way.
When you create the space for your friends,
you do it with intention.
Either the path will be laid for you, or it won't.
I know they wanna be helped.
I don't know how to bring them together.
Christ, girl.
Weren't you paying attention?
The answer's right in front of you.
-(EXHALES) - Hey,
come here.
Okay, that's enough.
I'm ready.
You take that letter with you.
It found its way to you, not me.
It was good to see you, granddaughter.
Niece, cousin.
CHEESE: Did you invite Bear and Elora, too?
WILLIE JACK: Yeah. Fuck. Can't let these wild onions go to waste.
Where'd you get these from?
My mom and dad picked them earlier this year.
Froze them, bro.
It smells like a locker room.
A good locker room. Locker room I'd like to eat.
- No, I mean... - You gotta cook that shit.
(DOOR OPENS, CLOSES)
Am I early?
Fuck no. Just in time.
What is this?
Potato salad.
(DOOR OPENS)
What's up, Bear?
- What'd you cook? - Potato chips.
A whole fuck potatoes of all kinds.
Sit down, bro. Almost done.
'Sup, Bear?
What's up, Elora?
Why're we here?
Well, this has been fun.
I went and saw Hokti.
- Whoa. - In jail?
Yup.
How is she?
She's good. Looks all healthy and shit.
Smoking paper cigs.
I went to go talk to her because I needed some advice
about all of us.
And what about us?
You know what I'm talking about, bro. This is weird.
We barely talk or see each other anymore.
Man, everything is fine.
Yeah.
Everything's totally fine.
Yeah.
Wow, that was convincing.
Wait. I'm gonna try something.
Give me your hands, uh, face up.
Hokti taught me this.
Fuck you doing?
You said "face up."
Palms up.
Of the power invested in me
by the freaking generational ghosts
behind me.
Like Rey in Star Wars.
- Cheese. - I'm sorry.
- You guys feel anything yet? - Mmm-mmm.
- We're supposed to? - My stomach hurts.
A fly keeps landing on me.
I feel a light breeze.
Fuck.
Look, I appreciate what you're doing, but we're all good.
Yeah, man.
You ain't gotta worry about us. We're fine.
(EXHALES)
Daniel wrote this.
What is it?
Freshman year.
Uh, we did a time capsule assignment.
Teacher just gave me back Daniel's.
And this is all his dreams and goals.
I haven't read it yet, but I wanted to read it with you guys.
(WILLIE JACK CLEARS THROAT)
(EXHALES)
(CHUCKLES)
I think we should do it.
Are you serious?
For Daniel because he can't.
And if you guys still want to be weird,
then the Rez Dogs can break up. Cool.
I'll stop pushing it.
You guys, down?
Yeah, for Daniel.
I got to tell Grandma, though.
What are you smiling about?
You did good, my girl.
Hokti, you got that updated list?
Yeah. Right here.
All right.