'We're so funny:' Meadow Lake, Sask., comic wants more Indigenous people to try standup
'I'm trying to make people laugh, but learn,' says Dakota Hebert
If there's anything Dakota Hebert hopes to accomplish through her standup comedy, it's to get more Indigenous people on stage, talking about their lives.
"I'm a firm believer that anyone can do standup comedy because I think everyone's funny in their own way," she said.
"[I'm] trying to encourage Indigenous youth and Indigenous peers to just go up and do it. Tell your jokes, tell the stories from the rez. They're so funny — we're so funny. Just tell them."
Hebert, who is a nominee for CBC Saskatchewan's #iamSK project, is an actress as well as a comedian, and said writing her own material makes standup a different challenge than reading lines written by someone else.
She is Dene from Meadow Lake, Sask., and said she draws on her day-to-day life for inspiration. Her jokes range from potty humour to inappropriate innuendo, and touch on everything from political commentary to social injustices to Indigenous peoples.
"I'm trying to make people laugh but learn; open a dialogue with people about Indigenous issues. Have them go, 'Oh my gosh, I can't believe she just said that,' and then [ask], 'Why?'
"Is it because you can't handle it?"
Ranting about spirit animals
She says reading her audiences, often mostly white, is a bit of an art but she has the advantage of knowing Saskatchewanians well.
"I have some jokes that are easy to swallow," she said.
"One of my favourites is, 'When I stayed in Toronto last summer I had to spend the first two nights in a hotel. And when I got there the woman said, 'Oh yes, do you have a reservation?' and I said, 'Well, yeah, but I'd like to sleep here please.''
"So that's one of the easier ones for people to swallow."
When her material gets into more sensitive issues, the writing gets tougher. She said it takes a lot of work to craft a joke that makes people think without making them feel like they're being berated or blamed. She's currently trying to hone a bit on "spirit animals."
"I've been trying to workshop a joke — right now it's more of a rant," she said.
"But people misuse it all the time. That's an Anishnabe thing. That's out east. I'm Dene. We don't have spirit animals. I don't even think Cree have spirit animals. It's very limited to certain tribes.
"Misuse of that is something I'm trying to workshop to make it funny. Right now I'm just kinda, 'Stop using this.' I just get on stage and I'm like, 'Quit it. That woman in the sequined shirt is not your spirit animal. Get over it.'"
It's OK to laugh
So far the routine has been hit and miss, she said, and she's still trying to find the sweet spot in tone. As for white audiences who don't know how to react, she said if you find her funny, go ahead and laugh.
"That's something that's very interesting. A lot of white crowds aren't sure, right? 'If we laugh, are we racist?'
"If someone's on stage telling jokes, I'm pretty sure you're allowed to laugh."
She said it was her grandmother and aunt who told her she should be a comedian, noting there aren't enough women in standup.
"They think I'm funny," she said.
Growing up, she loved standup comedy but wasn't seeing anyone to look up to. There are more Indigenous comedians out there today — Charlie Hill, Ryan McMahon, Howie Miller and Dawn Dumont to name a few — but she said there's always room for more.
The more Indigenous artists who are out there, "the freer we'll be able to be," she said, adding the pressure on each individual performer will be eased.
As for her #iamSK nomination: "Not that you do anything for recognition, but when you start to be recognized, it reaffirms your decisions for being a standup comedian," she said with a laugh.
CBC Saskatchewan is embarking on an ambitious storytelling project to mark 2017. #iamSK will share stories of people who are helping lead us today or building our future in Saskatchewan. Are you or someone you know a leader, innovator, newcomer or community builder of our province? Nominate someone or yourself today for #iamSK: Saskatchewan's people, places and faces.