Description
Me Funny is a recent anthology of eleven articles edited by Drew Hayden Taylor that tackle the subject of First Nations and humour. Ten writers from a variety of disciplines were selected to comment on the nature and scope of Native humour in all its forms. In the introduction, Taylor comments that Ojibwe linguist and educator, Basil Johnston, declined an invitation to contribute because he believes any analysis would most likely leave the incorrect impression for many readers. Johnston notes that a real understanding of humour for First Nations rests in their Indigenous languages. Tomson Highway tackles this very issue in his piece, Why Cree is the Funniest Language. Drawing on a Blackfoot creation story and his Cree upbringing, Highway takes the English language and attempts to engage the reader in the physicality of these Native languages. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Allan J. Ryan explores humour in First Nations art especially the work of Six Nations artist, Bill Powless. Other submissions include papers by Janice Acoose, Kristina Fagan, Karen Froman, Drew Hayden Taylor, Mirjam Hirch, Don Kelly, Thomas King, Lee Maracle, and Louise Profeit-LeBlanc. Their papers discuss stand-up comedy, drama, performance, poetry, traditional storytelling and education. Thomas King draws on his work for CBC radio and details a sketch from the Dead Dog CafÚ series. One glitch is the misspelling of Hopi spiritual Elder Thomas Banyacya's name as Thomas Bianca. Interspersed throughout the collection are overworked jokes pretentiously named, Astutely Selected Ethno-based Examples of Cultural Jocularity and Racial Comicalness. Sensitive readers should be aware of the use of adult language and themes.