Victor has lost touch with his father. And in other ways, he has lost touch with his Native American roots. When he travels with Thomas to Phoenix, AZ, he reconnects with his father in a few ways. Victor literally goes back to collect his father's ashes and the truck. But he also needs Thomas to make this connection.
Victor needs Thomas to give him the money needed for the trip. In reconnecting with Thomas and his...
Victor has lost touch with his father. And in other ways, he has lost touch with his Native American roots. When he travels with Thomas to Phoenix, AZ, he reconnects with his father in a few ways. Victor literally goes back to collect his father's ashes and the truck. But he also needs Thomas to make this connection.
Victor needs Thomas to give him the money needed for the trip. In reconnecting with Thomas and his (Victor's) father, Victor symbolically has a kind of rebirth or awakening. He has a better understanding of how to balance his allegiance to his ancestors while also being a modern Native American. The fact that this occurs in "Phoenix" is significant. This is an allusion to the mythical phoenix (a bird) which could burn to ashes and be reborn. Thomas "Builds-the-Fire" is the catalyst in Victor's journey. He starts the symbolic fire of Victor's journey and Victor is then reborn from his (again, symbolic) father's ashes. Prior to arriving at Victor's father's trailer, they take a flight. This also refers to the symbolism of the phoenix which would be reborn to fly again.
Both Victor and Thomas plan to throw their portion of the ashes in the water at Spokane falls. The symbolism of the phoenix is the same here but takes the form of the salmon in Thomas' mind:
I'm going to travel to Spokane Falls one last time and toss these ashes into the water. And your father will rise like a salmon, leap over the bridge, over me, and find his way home.
These notions of rebirth, rising again, and reconnecting with ancestors are all thematic parts of Victor's journey.
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