When the laughter stops

Page 5

It seems that some people have no sense of humor. Ask Mi'Kmaq Bernie Francis and I'm sure he'd have something to say. He's the gentleman who last year stirred up a bit of a fuss at the Treaty Day Festival in the Maritimes. Being somewhat of a grassroots social critic, he rewrote and sang a version of Sinatra's "I Did It My Way" which lampooned the huge salaries and expense accounts (allegedly exceeding $400,000) of two local chiefs. I believe he called his version of the song "I Hid It My Way."

It is commonly said that truth is beauty and beauty is truth. Well, not for Bernie. For being such a bad, truthful boy, it sure ain't pretty. He was sent to the proverbial corner and forbidden to play with anybody. In other words, he was barred from performing at this year's festival. As I said, some people don't have much of a sense of humor.

And to add insult to injury, all other First Nations performers were forced to sign contracts forbidding them from cracking jokes or satirizing Aboriginal leaders during the Sept. 30 festival. Performers had been warned that anyone who broke the prohibition wouldn't be paid his concert fee. Hmmm, methinks somebody may be a little sensitive. And to paraphrase the immortal words of fellow playwright William Shakespeare, "Me thinks they doth protest too much."

Maybe because as a humorist and satirist myself, this particular issue strikes a little close to home. It inflames my sense of justice and I don't know how to get rid of the inflammation. Granted there is a time and a place for humor and a time and place for respect. Humor must be used to amuse, not abuse. However, a festival does not strike me as a particularly solemn or serious event where social humor should be prohibited. For those of an older generation, Woodstock comes to mind with its various musical/political protests. I understand treaty day is not Woodstock-less nudity and mud I've been told-but the principle of freedom of expression is the same.

According to reports, the Bernie Francis song brought down the house, meaning the audience loved it, except for maybe two or three people, who for obvious reasons didn't, and therefore changed all the rules to suit their needs. Shame, shame, for if I remember my Star Trek pop references, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

Gee, a singer that is creative, talented and the audience loves-no wonder he was banned! I'm surprised he got away so lightly. They must have a different set of rules for a successful festival in the East.

What these people are no doubt forgetting is the long tradition that mockery and teasing have in Native cultures. The various Trickster representations common to so many of our nations come to mind. But for those who have visited the Pueblo of the American Southwest, they will tell you of a sacred clown figure called a Koshare. It is a very important figure in the Pueblo cosmology. Select members of the village dress up in the distinctive horizontally striped black and white outfit and make-up for specific ceremonies.

These clown-like characters comically entertain the audience by showing how people tend to do everything and only the spirits are perfect. One of their particular duties is to illustrate to the public the dangers of greed, how people always try to possess everything. In fact, their real symbolic function is to keep the community honest by pointing out people's foibles and greed. Part of their function is to humble those who need humbling, thus maintaining the harmony of the community. Darn clever, them Pueblo.

I don't know if Bernie Francis cares about Koshares or Shakespeare, but it may be of interest to him that an Elder from Alberta's Blood Reserve once said "Humor is the WD-40 of healing." I guess with a salary of $400,000, you can afford a better doctor, or to buy the whole hospital.