Sherman Alexie and Indian Humor

After reading Vine Deloria, Jr's chapter, "Indian Humor" from her book Custer Died for your Sins: An Indian Manifesto, it made me see Sherman Alexie's novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, more clearly.

Vine Deloria's novel teaches us about the use of humor in everyday life for Native Americans. It is a method for dealing with the past, tragedies, and rivals, to name only a few. The ability to laugh at yourself is key to being able to live with the world around you and yourself, and Deloria's descriptions of Indian humor and humor traditions seem to elaborate on this idea beautifully. Throughout history, Native Americans have been suppressed and exploited. Their past is riddled with pain and suffering, such as small pox, the Trail of Tears, and the forced settlement on reservations. But despite their very troubled past, the Native American communities have maintained their sense of humor, often about these very events. It seems that the humor allows them to deal with the past without sinking into the melancholy that has so dominated the issues they joke about. It also allows the cultures to maintain an identity with themselves and other tribes. For example, two tribes that may have been bitter enemies in the past, will now tease each other about the rivalry of the old days. It allows both tribes to keep their identities in tact, by remembering and still prodding about their differences.

In Sherman Alexie's novel, humor plays a very important role throughout the entire text. For example, when Junior's grandmother passes away, his mother finds reason to laugh at the funeral. Despite their terrible grief, the family and friends of Grandmother find joy in her life and the mistakes of greedy millionaires. Through their laughter, everyone is able to cope with their loss and move ahead with their lives without forgetting those who have died. Junior also finds numerous points of humor in his awkwardness and disabilities. It's a coping mechanism and a realization that he is not dominated by the set backs of his life. Throughout the story, Junior is extremely determined to prove his worth to both his tribe and his classmates at Reardon, and he shows his determination best through the events that he can laugh about, such as his "water on the brain" illness and his differences from the white students of Reardon.

Humor is a key part to all of our lives. It helps us to live and thrive without dwelling on the sadness or loss in our life. We can look back on the past and remember the happier times or simply embrace the past we have through a more light-hearted lens. For Native Americans, this humor is woven into their traditions, such as Trickster stories, and into their everyday lives and identities. Through their humor, the Native Americans assert who they are and what they believe. It's a way to remember their past and to continue moving into the present with their cultures and identities intact.