Roots of Comedy with Jesus Trejo

Man: How many Natives ever been the only one around a bunch of non-Natives sometimes?

What happens?

You become that designated shaman.

Jesus Trejo, voice-over: Sometimes, your journey to packed crowds starts in empty spaces... Jesus: You can't cut corners for standup comedy.

This is where you come not to cut corners.

Man: That's what it is.

True grit, man.

Jesus, voice-over: and your fight to be seen isn't just about yourself.

Man: We're still struggling, we're still fighting for our rights.

Jesus, voice-over: How do you handle the weight of it all?

I feel like I'm about to get emotional.

I feel it bubbling.

Man: I'm Jesus Trejo, and I do standup comedy, and for me, the stories behind the laughs are way better than the jokes themselves, so I'm hitting the road to understand the roots that bind all comedians together.

[Cheering and applause] My mom comes from a big family.

I don't know why she just stuck with one kid.

My grandmother had 21 kids... [Cheers and gasps] by the same dad.

Whoo.

Jesus, voice-over: Every comic has their own origin story, yet another thing we have in common with superheroes in addition to our killer physiques.

You're popping kids out like T-shirts at basketball games.

Like, "Fffppp!"

The story starts with a seed that needs nurturing to thrive.

My grandpa just kept catching them.

"I got it!"

Jesus, voice-over: For a comic, that's a lot of practice on any stage you can find.

Coming up with 21 names is probably just as hard as finding one e-mail address.

He's like, "What do you call this one?"

"I'm gonna call this one Jose."

The doctor's like, "You have that one already."

"Ah, OK. What about Jose Smiley Face 81?"

[Laughter] Jesus, voice-over: But what happens when you grew up in a place that only has open spaces and no open mics?

This is Chinle, a small town in the center of the Arizona Navajo Nation and the hometown of Native American comic Tatanka Means, who has traded desolate roads for sold-out rooms across the country full of people eager to hear his original take on reservation life.

American Indian people who are in the house tonight, make some noise, Native people, if you're proud to be Native.

[Cheering and applause] Hup hup hup hup!

Ooh!

Getting me fired up right now!

Where's white people?

Make some noise.

[Cheering] Whoa, whoa!

[Laughter] Too proud.

[Laughter] I'm scared of you guys.

You guys are scary, like, take over your continent scary, you know?

Jesus: Tatanka's success onstage is rivaled by his success on set with an impressive resume as an actor, including legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon," but no matter how often he has to break a leg, he always follows it up with a mic in his hand.

In the city, they got this thing.

It's called Amber Alert.

Amber Alert, missing child alert.

We don't have Amber Alerts out here because we don't want to steal other people's kids.

We've got enough kids of our own... [Laughter] and the only time we want to steal other people's kids is to claim them on our income taxes.

[Laughter] Jesus: Tatanka's story goes even deeper, as his father left a legacy of his own to follow.

Russell Means was also an actor, but his true passion was fighting for the rights of the Indigenous people in America as one of the co-founders of the American Indian Movement, which brought light to the Indigenous issues on a global scale.

In these United States of America, this great country of ours, we American Indians, we can be anything we want to be except American Indians.

Jesus: While his father fought for the rights of Native Americans for decades, the battle still goes on... and for Tatanka, I'm curious how he carries this multigenerational fight with him while also being so funny onstage.

Tatanka: Yeah, man.

This is my boxing gym.

This is where I grew up.

Many nights spent here, the Damon-Bahe Boxing Gym in Chinle.

This is Johnny Bahe right here.

Johnny, they were talking about coming to Chinle, and I said, "We got to go to the boxing gym."

We haven't even gone to my house yet.

We came here first.

Ha ha!

That's awesome.

This was, like, a safe haven for a lot of youth and still is.

Johnny--he doesn't charge a membership fee to come here.

Jesus: Wow.

You just got to dedicate yourself and put in the work.

It's difficult living here on the reservation.

You don't have the funds you have in the city, but you come here, I'm gonna give you a place to be.

You know, a lot of what I learned here I still use to this day-- the repetition of things, to work up to something.

You can't come in here and just be great.

You got to train for it.

It's just like in comedy or acting.

You know, you can't walk into a place and just go kill it onstage.

You got to work for that.

Woman: Welcome to the stage the one and only Tatanka Means!

[Cheering and applause] Who parked valet here?

See, you guys better be tipping.

I used to work valet, guys.

It sucked, man, every time I'd get a Native car, man.

Get down there, see that war pony, man.

Not even no keys.

A screwdriver to get in there, man.

Tatanka, voice-over: Mental strength is a big part of my life, and that's what I learned through boxing.

Tatanka: Has all the usual stuff-- Pendleton seat covers, McDonald's trash, dirty diapers, two kids asleep in the back.

Tatanka, voice-over: Having those tough shows and those real hard days, you just got to get through it and put in that work, and it's gonna pay off.

So many feathers hanging in the rearview, huh?

It's like a dead bird.

[Laughter] Jesus: Yeah.

You can't cut corners for standup comedy.

When it's time to go, you're gonna really see it, and this is where you come not to cut corners.

This is where that true grit is kind of developed.

Tatanka: Mm-hmm.

That's what it is.

True grit, man.

Not beating yourself up after bombing out, you know.

Jesus: Right.

Tatanka: Everybody's a champion that answers that bell, you know, that can get in that ring, and everybody's a warrior, and that's who we come from is warriors.

You know, we come from warriors here... -Yeah.

-and we're just trying to keep that tradition going.

You can feel it when you walk in.

You can tell there's been a lot of battles won, you know, through the knowledge that people have really found here, so this place has a very special energy, but I will say that I'm gonna be your first student to walk in with a smile and leave crying, so, uh, we're gonna do things a little backwards.

[Laughter] Johnny: Hey.

He want to spar with you.

Glove up for sparring.

Jesus: Oh, my gosh.

Johnny: Does he need to sign any papers, last will and testament, uh...

If something happens to me, I leave all my Pokmon cards to my dog.

[Laughter] Tatanka, voice-over: Native people, we love to laugh.

All right.

Tatanka, voice-over: You know, the comedy also comes from here because you got to be able to laugh at yourself.

You didn't have to do it that hard, bro.

This is PBS, bro.

This isn't Fight Night right here.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

Tatanka: There we go.

Tatanka, voice-over: We tease each other, hard, make fun of each other hard.

You just got to be able to take it and brush it off and keep going because it's love, you know?

Jesus: You've never seen this one, coach, right, -the double hand?

-Ha ha ha!

Jesus: Oh, yeah.

Just don't hit me in the mouth or anywhere.

Tatanka: Jesus, get in there, bro.

Jesus: Look at that.

You won.

[Timer beeps] Johnny: That's a two-minute rest.

Jesus: Hoo!

That felt like 8 minutes, coach.

Jesus, voice-over: Sweaty, battered, and with a bit of a bruised ego, to help me recuperate, Tatanka has taken me on a tour through the Navajo-owned national park Canyon de Chelly.

Jesus: Whoa.

You can try to take a picture with the best camera, and it still won't do it justice as to, like, how grandiose.

Look at this.

I keep thinking about, like, the hustle you got to have out here to find success as a comedian.

Being from L.A. or, like, growing up in a town where comedy is so accessible, I realize how much of a place of privilege that is because even though it's, like, Long Beach, Hollywood was a very distant reality, but it's, like, 25 miles away.

I always thought, like, "Man, it's, like, way out there," but, you know, the closest town for you is, what, Phoenix, and then that's a small comedy community, and you would have to create your opportunities and build as you go.

That's tough, man.

Tatanka: I think it helps develop you, though, like, the resilience of trying to overcome that kind of, like, adversities.

Growing up out here, I have only been to a handful of comedy shows, but I remember seeing Ernie and his partner James at the time.

I mean, they were just freaking, like, superstars.

Man: Natives, right, we have no boundaries.

We'll point right at you, man.

We don't care.

That guy right there, about this close to his eyeball, you know what I mean?

Tatanka: That was really what interested me in comedy, and that's who I looked up to.

So windy and dusty out in Chinle, they all look like this.

[Laughter] Tatanka: When I seen them perform, I asked Ernie and James, "How do you come up with your sets?

"How do you get that material?

You know, how do you do this kind of transition?"

They're like, "Why don't you just come out and give it a shot, you know?"

That's what ended up happening.

Ernie: Tatanka Means.

Tatanka: Thank you, sir.

Tatanka, voice-over: Scripted out 25 minutes.

Because I was an actor, I could remember lines, -so I wrote it all down.

-Right.

Yeah.

Can you believe that?

Barack Obama might be the first African American president.

What's it gonna be like when a real Indian goes into office there like him into the White House?

30 cars out front of the White House.

[Laughter] Only one of them works.

Man.

[Laughter] Tatanka: Man, feel that power.

That's important, you know, to feel that connection when we're here from the ancestors.

Jesus: Yeah.

Tatanka: They say when you come down here you just kind of-- you want to take a handful and just let it run through your hands like this.

Then you kind of wash your hands with it.

Just wash them like you're washing.

-Like that?

-Yeah, just like that.

-I just made that up.

-OK. -I just made that up.

-All right.

Cool.

-That wasn't real.

-I fell for it.

That wasn't real.

I was about to scrub my head and everything, get a little bit of, like, hey, run it through your hair.

Tatanka: Take a full bath down there.

That's stuff that I put in my comedy is, like, people believe anything we say when they come here.

How many Natives ever been the only one around a bunch of non-Natives sometimes?

What happens?

You become that Native representative, huh?

[Laughter] Huh?

You become that designated shaman.

Bird flies over.

Haah!

Then they all look at-- "Ohh!

That's you."

Then, they expect us to be bird experts.

"What kind of bird is that, Indian?"

[Laughter] Then you don't want to look stupid, you know?

You don't want to let down your people.

"Uh"... [Laughter] "that's an eagle."

[Laughter] Some dirty old pigeon or something.

Jesus: It's cool that you incorporate that into your comedy because you're using comedy as a vehicle to educate at the same time while you're speaking your truth.

Exactly, yeah.

It is a good vehicle.

Non-Native people, you know, assume things, which come off, you know, almost disrespectful, and the comedy makes it look like, "Oh, man.

I am stupid for thinking that or assuming that," or something like that.

I don't blame the person.

It's America's education about Native American people.

You know, there is none.

You know, we're two pages sometimes in the history book when we are the history book, you know what I mean?

Our history, it should be mandatory and respected.

We're still here, 21st century.

Sometimes, people say, "We thought you were still living in teepees," or stuff like that, silly stuff, and it's like, "No, man.

"We're right here with you.

"You know, we're on the Internet, too.

"We're watching the same TV you're watching, "and we'd like to see ourselves on that TV.

"We'd like to be included, you know, and we'd like a seat at the table."

Have you guys seen that show "MTV Cribs"?

"MTV Cribs for Rez."

"MTV Rez Cribs for Indians."

Man, that'd be bad.

Shoot.

They probably couldn't even find the house when they were trying to look for it, you know?

[Laughter] "I don't know, Kevin.

Does the GPS work?

OnStar?

I'm getting scared, Kevin."

[Laughter] They finally pull up to the house, all the dogs jumping all over.

[Laughter] Dang.

Rez dogs, you know?

They travel in, like, gangs, ribs all showing, haven't eaten in, like, 2 days, 3 days.

Man, jumping all over the car, looking inside.

"You gonna feed us?

You gonna feed us?

You gonna feed us?"

Welcome to my crib.

Ha ha ha!

"PBS Cribs," dude.

Come on in.

Ha ha!

This is my mom's land.

This was where our trailer was.

Sometimes, people'd be like, "Oh, you still live in teepees?"

They'd be like, "Yeah, trailer parks," you know, and this was our trailer right here.

We had a double-wide trailer.

Jesus: Oh, you can see the steps.

Tatanka: This is the steps into our house.

This is where we would run the bulls in to this little corner here.

Lots of memories out here.

It seems like a lifetime ago now.

Riding, practicing.

Yeah, we used to play all over the place, though.

Back here's the wash. Water would run through there sometimes.

A lot of places on the reservation don't have running water here in America right now.

Even the drinking water that we do have sometimes isn't even clean drinking water, you know.

In the wintertimes, it gets cold.

People die of exposure, and, you know, everybody's talking about land of the great.

I'm like, well, we don't have running water, we don't have electricity, we don't have paved roads back here, and we're still struggling, we're still fighting for our rights, man.

You know, we go to the city, and people, they don't know this kind of life.

We come from the same place they come from, and we should all have common things like that, but that's what makes us tough.

We don't look at it as "Oh, poor us.

Oh, feel bad for us."

This is like-- this is what made us, you know, this is why we're strong.

This is why we're resilient.

This is why we're still here.

We can either be resentful or take in the beauty of it, and that's what we choose to do is-- Jesus: Yeah.

Make some good lemonade, you know?

Tatanka: Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

But all this is comedy, man.

It's just--it's funny, you know?

Jesus: Pain is funny, and funny is pain.

-Yeah.

-Given enough time, it's, like, so much to pull from, I'm sure.

Tatanka: Exactly, but, yeah, it's a special place in my heart.

When I think of home, you know, this is-- Jesus: This is it right here.

Jesus, voice-over: These are the moments that open your eyes to the things you thought you knew about but really had no idea.

Tatanka: We used to practice in here with my grandpa.

He was a cowboy.

Jesus, voice-over: Yeah, we're talking about comedy, but to hear the stories about life in Chinle and to be there to see what Tatanka's talking about really puts your own life and journey into perspective.

When Tatanka agreed to do our show, he didn't just want to come and film in Chinle without giving back, so he's offering to feed everyone in town.

Woman: Over here.

Jesus: How are you, man?

Look at this.

How cool.

What's up, bro?

-Good to see you, man.

-Thank you, bro.

This is great.

Jesus, voice-over: He obviously doesn't want to forget where he's from, but just in case, his mother and brother are still around holding receipts.

Mom: Hi.

Nice to see you.

Well, Tatanka wasn't always a perfect child.

There were many times he was like-- And he starts laughing.

He's, like, "Oh."

Brother: It's crazy because Tatanka, when he graduated high school, he told everyone-- we had, like, a dinner or something, and he said, "I want to be a comedian."

He's all, "You think I could try some jokes in front of you guys?"

And we never seen him in that light before because, you know, he's a boxer, a bull rider... -Yeah.

-and we were like, "OK. Yeah, sure."

So he got in front of the family at our house and told jokes.

Mom: And he was funny.

Jesus: He was?

And I laughed.

Nataani: He was funny, man, and we kind of just didn't see him like that.

After all this time, you know, that was really his dream.

Jesus: Yeah.

Mom: The thing about his humor is he speaks by where he's from.

The Native people really get his humor, but it's funny enough that everybody can laugh, too.

He also has slants and issues sometimes that he'll bring out about voting or the leadership of the state, the Pledge of Allegiance, you know, where is the justice and where is the freedom.

He represents a lot of nations and a lot of people.

That's from their dad.

Tatanka's and Nataani's father said when he walked down the streets of New York and Paris, "I want no mistake about it that I'm an American Indian, "that I am Native, that I am Lakota.

They see it when they see me," and that's how these guys were raised.

Nataani: No one sees us anymore.

You know, we're the forgotten people of America.

Gloria: You know, because basically, we're still on--behind wired barb fences.

This is what's so important about what Tatanka is doing, what myself is doing with the music is we're forcing ourselves to get into places where you normally don't see us, like comedy, you know?

Jesus: Comedy, music.

Nataani: Yeah, music, and making America see where you come from, and I'm very passionate about that, and so is Tatanka.

Jesus: You guys have taken to your art to speak your truth.

It's really, really cool to see.

Nataani: It's storytelling.

It's being orators, you know?

In Native communities, we told stories from generation to generation, and that's just what we're continuing, you know.

We're representing our people, and we're fighting for our people just like our father did.

Look.

I'm not even kidding you.

Look at the goosebumps.

Like, my voice just cracked a little bit, but it's like I mean that.

That was really special.

It's like the warriors of this day and age, the combat, the war, the work is done in a different way.

The fight is in a different space.

Gloria: Exactly.

Jesus: Yeah.

It's really cool.

Yeah.

I just appreciate you coming out, man.

Thank you.

Jesus: No.

Thank you for having me, really.

Jesus, voice-over: Hearing how his family continues the fight their father started and witnessing Tatanka give back to the community is inspiring, and obviously, having him back in town is a big deal for them, as well, so to show their love and appreciation, the community is seizing this opportunity to honor Tatanka and his family at the annual Navajo Nation Rodeo.

[Singing in Native language] What's up, man?

How are you, man?

Tatanka: Glad you're here.

This is the Gourd Dance they have going on right now.

Sometimes, before the powwow, they have a Gourd Dance.

Jesus: If there's any etiquette I should know about, please feel free to be like, "Hey, chill, bro."

Tatanka: Yeah, just take your shirt off when you go in.

-Take my shirt off?

-Yeah.

I'm just kidding.

No, man, it's all good.

Yeah.

They're just dancing hard out here in the heat.

If they're honoring somebody, they'll have a blessing like this.

Those are all the singers there.

They sing a southern style beat.

That's the head drum right there.

Jesus: Hmm.

Tatanka: That's how it is all day, man.

Some people give gifts all day long, dancing, honoring people, recognize them and say, you know, "I see you on behalf of you and your family," you know.

This is special, you know.

They don't do these everywhere too often.

For me, doing comedy in Indian country is beautiful because they know this kind of life, and being able to travel different tribes, we all have that in common.

Where's my powwow people at?

[Cheering and applause] Hey.

You're not.

If you were, you would be all "La la la la la!"

How about closet powwow people?

You know what that is?

That's when you close up the windows at home, and you turn it up real loud.

[Imitating drumbeat] Nobody's home.

You just start going for it.

[Laughter] All the guys grab the drumstick, huh?

Aah!

[Laughter] Aah aah!

Screaming at the dog.

Aah!

Puppy's all, "Aah!"

[Laughter] Man: Tatanka Means is an award-winning actor.

He's a standup comedian from Chinle, Arizona.

Thank you so much to the committee for this honor.

Every time I come home, it's community, and it's love all the time, and I appreciate it very much, and I'm proud to say that you are my people, and I couldn't do it without you, so thank you for your support.

I really appreciate it.

I want to introduce my friend here Jesus Trejo.

He's a comedian, and he's my guest here today.

Thank you, Jesus.

[Singing, drums playing] Man: Let's give a good song honoring Mr. Tatanka Means.

[Singing in Native language] Tatanka: Hey, hey.

Thank you.

Hey.

Man: For my dollar, we want to hear some comedy.

Tatanka: Ha ha ha!

Man: That's why these people are dancing.

Jesus, voice-over: As a comic, I understand why people sit in the back of my shows, afraid of the action.

Well, today's my turn to move to the front.

I've never experienced anything like this.

Yeah, that was very special.

I just felt very welcomed and taken back, and it was so beautiful, and I'm just a stranger, not somebody from the community, but they welcomed me like I was somebody who had been a part of the community a long time.

Jesus: Jesus.

Pleasure to meet you.

Tatanka: This is my wife Christine.

Jesus.

Christine: Nice to meet you.

Jesus: Pleasure.

Tatanka: My daughter.

Jesus: I like your glasses.

Tatanka: Ha ha ha!

Jesus, voice-over: Felt like I was a part of their family, and, you know, I definitely feel like I'm about to get emotional right now.

I feel it.

I feel it bubbling.

It's, um, very heavy.

Very heavy, very sweet.

Beautiful people for sure.

Tatanka, I have to say, um, I got a little emotional over there, man.

That was real, man.

I've never been welcomed in that way ever.

Oh, no, man.

It was just an honor to have you there as a guest, you know, and it does that, you know, the songs, the singers, the music, the drum.

It affects you sometimes a spiritual level sometimes, you know... -Yeah.

-When you're in there participating.

I love that you felt like that and, you know, that you were affected in that way.

It's a fight for us as Native people because, you know, through fighting through colonization, the struggles and fights that we've had to go through to maintain our land, to maintain our way of life, our language, our ceremonies, our songs, and so it's very, very important to us just to keep those things alive and keep them going.

We have arms wide open when people come out here.

We want to educate people.

You know, these places are not closed off, and they should come and visit and educate themselves.

We want to share.

We want people to experience what we have to offer, and, you know, what we all have in common is humor.

-Humor, right.

Yeah.

-It's comedy.

Yeah, it's laughter.

It's like no matter where I go, where we go, it's always the universal thing that bonds us together.

That's what I think is beautiful about doing comedy.

Yeah.

Honestly, this has been an experience of a lifetime.

I can't put words to it.

I mean, thank you.

Tatanka: That's awesome.

Glad we shared that together, you know.

Jesus: Yeah, man.

[Cheering and applause] Jesus, voice-over: Standup comedy is the only artform I know of that you can't make in isolation.

You have to have a platform, and sometimes, that platform is miles and miles and miles away, and when you finally get to that platform, the stakes for some are, quite frankly, higher than others... Ernie: Tatanka Means.

Jesus: because using that platform isn't just for yourself.

It's also for your people, and it isn't just for moving things forward but also preserving the past of your culture and your family.

That way, even if you're from miles down the road in a town like Chinle, the connection created through humor, art, and kindness can be felt and recognized anywhere in the world.

I do know one thing.

I'll always feel connected to this place.

Tatanka: Why do you got those glasses on?

-I don't know.

-Are those prescription?

-No.

-"I don't know."

Jesus: I don't know.

They just told me to put them on.

Tatanka: Somebody's pranking you, bro.

Man: Now the butterflies are gonna kick in.

Butterflies?

I got pterodactyls in my stomach.

Tatanka doesn't know this, but he's my new best friend.

He's probably gonna say differently after he saw me box.

I'm more of like a calorie intake kind of guy, but, yeah, he's going to really like this bakery down the street from where I live.