“My people are from Wisconsin. We used to be from New York. We had a little real estate problem.”

The quote is from Charlie Hill’s most reliable joke in his stand-up routine. This book is a history of the stories of Native American comedians.

In the 1880’s, Native Americans were forced to tour with Wild West shows as an alternative to prison. Despite being denied equal footing in the entertainment industry, Native Americans such as Will Rogers, Jackie Curtiss, Paul Little chief and Charlie Hill made contributions to the comedic art form.

Charlie Hill was the first Native American to be on The Tonight Show, David Letterman, Arsenio Hall, and The Richard Prior Show.

Features many interviews and a whole lot of fascinating research.