Ten Things to Say to A White Person

April 17, 2018
   More insights on In-din humor from Vine Deloria, Jr:   

   "ONE OF THE best ways to understand a people is to know what
makes them laugh. Laughter encompasses the limits of the soul.
In humor life is redefined and accepted. Irony and satire provide
much keener insights into a group's collective psyche and values
than do years of research.

   "It has always been a great disappointment to Indian people
that the humorous side of Indian life has not been mentioned by
professed experts on Indian Affairs. Rather the image of the granite-faced grunting redskin has been perpetuated by
American mythology."

   One of the ways to accomplish this is to turn the old stereotypes on their collective heads. Here's an example from Deloria:

"Popovi Da, the great Pueblo artist, was quizzed one day on why the Indians were the first ones on this continent. 'We had reservations,' was his reply."

   Or this example from a Native American Stand-up:

Ten Things To Say To A White Person

• How much white are you?

• I’m part white myself, you know.

• I learned all your people’s ways in the Boy Scouts.

• My great-grandmother was a full blood European princess.

• Funny, you don’t look white.

• Where are your powdered wigs and knickers?

• Do you live in a covered wagon?

• What’s the meaning behind the square dance?

• Oh, wow! I really love your hair. Can I touch it?

• What’s your feeling about riverboat casinos? Do they really help your people, or are they just a short-term fix?

Boy In The Water smiling at the above turnabout questions

"Mas tequila por favor, because no great story starts with someone eating a salad."
—Old Vaquero Saying

Wreck of The Tequila Limited