Continuity mistake: In the flashback, where Victor's parents ask him who his favourite Indian is, before he walks out the door, there are two girls on the porch playing with a sparkler while leaning on the rail, facing away from the door. In the next shot, in a close-up where Victor comes through the door, the girls are now leaning against the exterior of the house next to the door, facing each other. No sparkler in sight. (00:25:11)
Factual error: When Victor and Thomas are riding on the bus from Idaho to Arizona, the same driver is driving the bus the whole trip. In reality, the driver would have changed a few times on such a long trip.
Answer: Smoke Signals was shot on site at the Coeur d'Alene Reservation in Idaho. The actor who plays young Thomas Builds-the-Fire (the one in braids and glasses) is from Canada.