You just have to laugh at this big bear of a guy

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What happens when you admire people who make you laugh, like Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, and David Letterman? The answer was clear to Gerry Barrett - become a comedian.

He is one of the acts that works the crowds at Rumors, a comedy club in Winnipeg.

"The club is great. They are behind me all the way. They are a great bunch of people to work with," said Barrett.

His show usually consists of stories involving Aboriginal politics and anecdotes about himself. He recalls when Assembly of First Nations National Chief, Phil Fontaine, would drop by and see his act. "I really got nervous. I was sweating," said Barrett. "Finally one evening as I was getting off the stage, he came up and shook my hand."

Ross Rumberg, owner of the club, said Barrett's got some very creative material.

"We are happy to have him perform here."

Barrett, who goes by the stage name Big Bear, is well known in the Winnipeg area. The name Big Bear is a nickname given to him by his childhood friends.

"My last name being Barrett, and together with my size, the name just kinda stuck," he said.

Barrett, an Ojibway from the Saugeen Reserve in southern Ontario, is the second youngest of 10 children. He comes from the Wabagonah - Skye family. His biological mother was blind and deaf. She died in the 1960s.

"My natural mother never got to experience the normal things that we take for granted, so when I'm on stage in front of a thousand people making them laugh, I'm not doing it for me, I'm doing it for my mother," said Barrett.

Barrett and his brothers and sisters went through the foster and adoption systems. He's had a chance to reunite with three of his biological brothers and sisters and is optimistic he will get to meet the other seven.

Barrett said adoption worked well for him. He is proud of his non-Aboriginal parents, Joseph and Phyllis Barrett of Grand Valley, Ont.

"Education is the key to success, and knowledge is power. I truly thank my adoptive parents for making me stay in school," he said.

Barrett has a diploma in Applied Arts, Radio, Television, Film and Broadcasting from Niagara College. He's spent 15 years as a radio announcer.

His most recent radio gig was as a morning talk show host on NCI-FM, Manitoba's Aboriginal Radio Network in Winnipeg. For one of his on-air commercials he won the Signature Award, which is given by Manitoba's Broadcasting Association. In 1993 he entered a stand-up comedy competition, and hasn't looked back since. He was featured at Winnipeg's Fringe Festival as a performer.

"I've done my shows at some conferences as well," said Barrett.

His performance credits include the Saskatchewan Provincial Aboriginal Awards, the Dakota-Ojibway Winter Tribal Days as the opening act for Williams and Rees, a comedy duo, the University of Manitoba's Aboriginal Students Welcome Week 1999 and other Aboriginal fundraising events.