Indian Humor....

Ya?

What ya got when you got a room full of a Apaches, eh?

Huh, What?

A full set of teeth, ednit?

Is it humor or racism? I guess it would depend upon who's telling the joke. Let's say you live on a reservation. Lets say you are living on the poor side of town or let's say you are on the streets of Seattle. Any Tribe any nation. There are only three things you got, your feet on the ground, the space around you and your sense of humor.

It seems no matter where our life may be at or where we may be. And even in the most tense filled room or situation there will always be that one person who will break the ice. That is with humor. Usually having to deal with a local person or a situation going on at the time. I remember, as a kid, it seemed like it was my family's duty to tease me unmercifully. I had an uncle who would take his teeth out and say he was gonna bite my fingers off because I was a finger sucker. This seemed to have brought great joy to the adults in the room. Now that I am an adult, I do see the humor. But as a child and the youngest of us all, it scared me to death. But guess what? I stopped sucking my fingers. Would I have done this to my child, more than likely no? But looking back on how I have raised my two oldest. I am sure I have done things to them that I thought was very funny at the time. It is the way we deal with things. No one reading this can say they haven't laughed at their child for this, that, or others things. I hope you have. I hope you can see the humor in the simple things.

Indian Humor has been a key to our survival. If you think back to when Columbus, (or whatever nameless Non-Indian), came to Indian land. Even at that time we were called lazy and ignorant. Because all we did was play games and sit around and socialize, so they thought. Little did they know that of course that was how we taught our children and how we grew in personal strength. I think to this day, that is how we survive. We find the humor in all that we can. In any situation we can. After all, who do you think coined the phrase, "Laughter is the best Medicine".... Hehe, I made a funny.

Go To Page: 1 2