This is a good episode with a powerful story and moral dilemma concerning the relocation of a group of American Indians - could have been a 9 or a 10 with a little more drama and if not for the terrible inconsistencies and the problematic character of Wesley Crusher.
Wesley had SO much potential in TNG, his genius and his encounters with the Traveler could have been exploited so much better, but unfortunately it wasn't always the case. This is one of the episodes where his side story ruins the otherwise excellent base premise. Apart from his annoying baby face stupid smile that's part of his "acting" in TNG every 2 minutes or so, there is absolutely no way any group of American Indians would have considered Wesley some sort of Messiah or treat him as one of their own, for a couple of simple reasons: he's too young, he's disobedient, he has no spiritual depth whatsoever and ... he disrespects elders, especially after joining the Academy. All these Wesley traits make him totally incompatible with a culture like the American Indian one, period.
Other than that, the premise of this episode could have produced an effect relatively close to that of 'Inner Light', if exploited properly (maybe some tragic outcome of the main plot) - it certainly suited the culture's history. It wasn't to be however, and the Indians' and Wesley's stories were blended in a very unrealistic fashion. Picard or even Worf could have been much more suited for Wesley's act, while Wesley's subplot could have been merged into another, more suitable episode. In the end, it all looks forced and not that believable (to say the least), pretty much like trying to eat soup and cake together.
