Navajo have stereotype of being humorless. This simply is not true. The difference is that Navajo are much more selective about who they share humor with. Workplace humor is rare and since there are no bars in the Navajo Nation there are no bar room jokes. Humor is much more expressed with family members and not with acquaintances. So I was very curious the other night when they had a comedy group from the local high school perform at parent-teachers night.
There were many jokes I just did not get because they involved puns in the Navajo language which I had no clue about. It would have been like me telling a joke to Navajo with Yiddish puns such a "A schlemiel, a schlumuzel, and a schlump walk into a bar and and order a drink on Pesach..... " .
The Navajo language is full of puns and Navajo like to make liberal use of it. There were a few jokes I liked such as the one about an Arizona politician who came campaigning(true story) on the reservation and started talking about why illegal immigration to the United States was so harmful to Arizona. Each Navajo looks at each other and questions, "Where was he 200 years ago?"
There was also a story about the Navajo being worried when the wind blows hard not that their car might blow into their house but that their house might blow into their car. Other jokes that night dealt with the extended families that all Navajo belong to and the wisdom of the elders.
I enjoyed seeing people laugh at themselves and thought it was great for the mental health of the community as well as being entertaining.
If a Navajo shares humor with you consider that a sign of closeness and respect and know that it is a gift of good friendship.
No comments:
Post a Comment