American Indian Culture and Research Journal

Although many excellent examples of literary-style American Indian humor exist, they are also often limited by mainstream conventions and tastes regarding both form and content. As a result, they only get us so far in understanding certain realities of Native life, such as those found on reservations. Finding ways to add examination of forms of joking that may be less familiar to the mainstream, such as those often found in tribally specific, nonfiction, and journalistic humor can help provide better balance.