North Dakota Native American Essential Understanding number four is about sense of humor. It states, "Native people have a rich history of shared sense of humor, that includes teaching stories involving Iktomi, Maymaygwisi and Nanabozhoo. These stories and this unique sense of humor continue to support our resiliency and cohesiveness."
In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll be listening to Leander Russ McDonald, an enrolled member of Spirit Lake Nation, in part one of storytelling and humor.
Leander Russ McDonald:
Well, we're all storytellers. So I think that, and if you're a good storyteller, you get a little bit popular and people want to hear your stories. And I think what happens is that if you can combine humor in with that really well, then you get to have funny stories and people get to have a good time listening to you, but are able to learn something at the same time.
And so I just came from awake on Monday, on Sunday night, back at Spirit Lake, and one of our neighbors passed away. And so we went back for that, and a older gentleman got up and shared a little bit, and that's what he did. He shared the story of the life of this lady, and he blended into different, funny, comical pieces of throughout his life that she had in regard to sharing with her and how those things were important. And at the same time, while he is talking to the crowd, he is kind of picking different ones up and kind of teasing him a little bit.
So you see that happening in regard to that. But we learned through that. I remember when I was getting off the path, and then my folks would sit me down and they would bring something over there to eat and a coffee or something. And he said, I knew what was going on. And he would say, I don't think you're going on the right path here. And would talk to me and say, "Maybe you want to consider going to school, or, I see you lost your job again." And tell me these things and stuff that I knew, but stuff that he thought I needed to hear. But he didn't holler at me.
He didn't say, "What the heck's the matter with you?" And he didn't talk to me like that. He said, I just see that you're like, you're having some difficulties here and you might want to rethink things. And so, that's how he poached me in a respectful way, and I was open to hearing what he was sharing with me then.
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If you'd like to learn more about the North Dakota Native American essential understandings, and to listen to more Indigenous elder interviews, visit teachingsofourelders.org.