Me Funny

Indigenous humour is hard to pin down or define, as you might expect, since there are so menu different Indigenous cultures, but it is noticeable that Indigenous humour is grounded in Indigenous world views, in resistance to oppression, and in a sense of community and solidarity. The figure of the Trickster is important too.

The book alternates between theorizing about Indigenous humour and telling jokes and funny stories. It has contributions from a number of different authors including Drew Hayden Taylor and Thomas King. I really enjoyed it.

I had originally expected this to be more along the lines of humorous stories rather than the essays about indigenous humour that it actually consists of. There were still plenty of jokes and stories interspersed throughout to lighten things up. My favourites were And Now, Ladies and Gentlemen by stand-up comic Don Kelly, which included generous portions of his stand-up act, and Why Cree is the Funniest of All Languages by playwright/musician Tomson.Highway.