Native stand-up comedians stand up for Big Brothers Big Sisters

By Lailani Upham

(L to R) Montana Nevarez, Gilbert Brown, Tave Hando, Julia Williams and Jim Ruel group together for the 1st Annual Comedy Night, Big Brother Big Sisters fundraiser at the SKC Arlee/Charlo Theatre last month. (Courtesy photo)

PABLO — Last month the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lake County and Flathead Reservation hosted a theatre full of laughing Indians in an effort to raise money for the children in the Ronan, Pablo, Hot Springs, Polson and Arlee areas.

BBBS ushered in Native comedians from the “Another Native Uprising” comedy productions, Gilbert Brown and Jim Ruel.

The fundraiser was somewhat of an “impromptu” doings for these neck of the woods in Indian country but it’s not the last, according to BBBS Executive Director Julia Williams. Williams says it is in the plans to make it an ongoing event to bring in Native comedians to the area for annual fundraising events throughout the year.

BBBS, an organization that began over a century ago helps youth through strong, long-term mentors whose friendship and guidance help positively shape a child’s life and increase their likelihood of becoming healthy, productive adults.

One of the missions for the comedy productions is to promote healthy activities and lifestyles. “Another Indian Uprising” not only trigger off an uprising in hilarity but also offers workshops in goal setting, career development, time management, and improvisation acting.

Jim Ruel described as, “The Nerd,” a smart, edgy comedian and Stanford alumnus who blasts his audiences with a torrent of one-liners, impressions, and stories leaving them breathless, falling all over and waiting for more. Ruel is a member of the Bay Mills Band of Ojibwe, and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Ruel’s mother, a full-blooded Ojibwe woman, and father, a mix of Irish, German, and Dutch, raised two boys and five girls. He said, his love of comedy developed early on with a standup performance at his grade school talent show inspired by exposure to Monty Python, Mel Brooks movies, George Carlin, and Bill Cosby.

While attending Stanford University, Ruel was encouraged by one his professors to pursue his dream of standup comedy as a serious career. Just as determined at striving to become a successful scholar, Jim Ruel has placed his comedy career on a steady strong movement to the point where now Ruel’s act is well respected within the standup comedy community.

Ruel has performed at Dartmouth College, University of Wisconsin, University of California - Riverside, Cal State Chico, South Dakota State, and Western Carolina University. He appeared at the Hollywood Improv, the Las Vegas Hilton, the Chicago Comedy Festival, and his television appearances include: “Showtimes’ Goin’ Native American Indian Comedy Slam,” “Comedy Central’s The Worlds Stands Up,” taped live in London, UK, “Clark and Michael,” NBC’s” Diversity Talent Search” a documentary “Crossing the Line: Multiracial Comedians.” He is also featured on Powwow Comedy Jam’s DVD “Joke Signals.”

Gilbert Brown, made a name for himself, “The Mugger” on the rodeo circuit corralling wild horses around the neck and in the meantime got part of his hand bitten off. Brown, a member of the Modoc, Klamath, Paiute and Warm Springs tribes engages his audience with charm and Indian rez personality as he slings his own brand of off the wall Native humor.

Brown is a regular at Harvey’s Comedy Club in the Northwest region and on the powwow circuit as a powwow MC.

BBBS matches adult and high school volunteers with children primarily from single-parent homes. Currently the organization is primarily staffed with high school volunteers, BBBS is hoping to recruit adult volunteers. Adult volunteers will help enable the organization to keep an ongoing relationship with the “littles” during the summer months.

BBBS is currently looking for adult mentors to work with a child one hour a week. For more information, please contact BBBS Executive Director, Julia Williams at (406) 883-2150.