The air hangs heavy with the smell of cigarette smoke and silence. The Tribal Council is about to make a decision on a hotly debated issue. Tension fills the room as they stand at the crossroads of decisions, a decision that will affect the future of the whole Tribe. The tension and silence are very much like the calm before the storm, or a dam about to burst. The strain of human mentality can be seen in the eyes, and the beads of sweat forming on frowning foreheads as the scene approaches it's climax. Then, in the midst of it all someone cracks a joke. A tidal wave of laughter shatters what seemed like an eternity of silence and all is back to normal again as tensions are eased and the atmosphere becomes more comfortable to work in.

The humor of Native Americans, which always seems to surface at the right time and place, has always been a source of good medicine for the Indian man. The humor of the Native American is usually a mixture of the "here and now" exaggerated causes, reasons, or anything else that may sound outrageous.

Here's one example of Indian humor:

An old Indian man was asked why people act the way they do when they drink liquor. He said, "This drink is a mixture of the essence of many animals. The first is that of a (sunkhpala) a young pup, then (sunka-wicasa) a monkey, a (kokahanla-bloka) the rooster, a (kimimila) the moth, a (zintkala) the bird, preferably the woodpecker, then the (tatanka) a buffalo, then the (mato) the bear. He says the last ingredient would be the (igmu) the cat and the (kokose) the pig, and in that order. As the drinker begins to drink, these animals manifest themselves as the level of blood-alcohol goes up.

When he first starts to drink, the young pup comes to life within him. He greets everyone with enthusiasm, because he feels happy all over inside. Just like a tail wagging pup, he's happy, not a care in the world." He drinks more.

Next the monkey comes out. He mimics children, playing with them. He gestures a lot, telling jokes and trying to make people laugh." He drinks more.

Then the rooster comes out. He feels so good he wants to sing, often starting a song he remembers. But as he bellows out the first push-up, he forgets the rest of the song, so he cuts it there and tries a different song he happens to remember. He's at a stage when he sounds more like a rooster than a (hoka-wicasa) a pow-wow singer." Once he's past this stage and drinks more, he's ready to go out.

At this level, the moth comes out. it doesn't matter to him that it's past midnight. He'll be up all hours of the night, looking for more booze, a party or a snag, whatever the reason. He's walking around and looking for places where people might still be up. He searches for the tell-tale light in windows, very much like the moth that's attracted to it.

He knocks on the door. 'People knocking on doors all night' is an expression common on most reservations. Like the woodpecker that can be heard knocking on wood in the forest, the drinking man goes around knocking on doors.

Drinking more he imagines himself the buffalo, irresistible. No door can hold him out. He batters all restraint. Head down he barges through the house and out again.

Now he is dangerous. He is a wild bear that has tasted meat. His arms crush and his talons tear. No person, old or young, is sacred, or safe.

The next animal that reveals itself is the cat. By this time, the drinking man has been out all night. Very much like the cat that spends his night hunting or looking for a mate, he heads for home just ahead of the sunrise.

Last; but not least, the pig comes out. The man, who is drunk by now, returns to his home and proceeds to raid the kitchen for leftovers or whatever there is to eat. He'll indulge himself beyond an ordinary meal . He's drunk and all he knows is that he's hungry, tired, and sleepy. After he eats up everything in sight, he'll find himself a place to sleep in the shade under a tree or his house, or even if it's the most unlikely place to sleep. The sun is shining in his face, flies are playing tag a few inches from his snoring, gaping mouth, and he'll sleep to his heart's content, very much like the pig."