i have to hit the road tomorrow and wont be back till late so my full response will take a bit but—
the homestead is saved! civilization is restored! ethan rides into the sunset, hi-yo silver. he may be a monster, he may be a tortured fuck, but he serves a greater cause. what does it matter his motivation? he’s a soldier. soldiers sacrifice themselves. all is well!
sure there is more ambiguity throughout but the final scene leaves no doubt in my mind.
as for patriotism... ive interviewed a lot of native war veterans. things have changed a ton since the era of manifest destiny
leave you this for context but hope to catch up soon!
https://www.history.com/news/native-...ts-citizenship