Homosexuality
Seymour Polatkin, the protagonist of the movie, is a gay Native American. Being gay is something shunned in the Native American community and a theme in this movie is how he seeks acceptance from his peers. He struggles with this and it is one of the aspects that make him feel like he does not belong there.
Fitting In
Seymour Polatkin lives in two worlds at once, feeling like he does not fit into either one. On one side you have his native American heritage and on the other his homosexuality, with his famous poems and white boyfriend. He tries to find his “natural” place but finds out he does not fit into either place more than the other.