Indian Humor on the Public Stage
Charlie Hill and Club Red--audio clips from a Native radio program featuring Charlie Hill.
On 12 June 2008, Winona LaDuke (White Earth Ojibwe) sat down with Stephen Colbert and tried to reclaim Manhattan for Indians!
The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Winona LaDuke
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Protests
Sherman Alexie (Spokane-Coeur d'Alene) was in rare form during his appearance on Stephen Colbert's show on 28 October 2008. You can watch his performance in the clip below:
The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Sherman Alexie
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Protests
Indian Humor in the Visual Arts
You can visit an engaging online exhibit exploring Indian humor, courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian Conexus project.
Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie (Seminole/Muscogee/Diné) is an amazing artist. Her photographs and videos often play with the discrepancy between images of Indians and Native realities, with comic and serious effects. See in particular her "Portraits Against Amnesia" series from 2003.
Coyote and Indian Humor
Harry Fonseca (Nisenan Maidu, Hawaiian, and Portuguese ) was a visual artist critically acclaimed for his depictions of Coyote in surprising settings. You can see Fonseca's work online at the Fonseca Studio website; be sure to look at the "Coyotes" page (listed as a choice under the "Studio Work" tab on the left side of the page) and the "Quotes" tab on the left to see some visuals and to read how influential Fonseca's work has been. A blog entry on the Singing to the Plants site also pays tribute to Fonseca's Coyote and includes two wonderful poems.
This page was last updated on 4 December 2008. Send questions/comments
to Nancy J. Peterson.