Perplexities of Settler Colonial Folklore: Stripping for the Holidays

Abstract Folklore studies has a distinguished history that also includes unintended harms due to past practices. Folklorists have learned lessons from past practices and are actively engaged in meaningful and purposive methodologies of understanding and shared knowledge. A Native American perspective offers insights into past harms but does so in the service of respectful and responsive folklore studies. This essay introduces “Indian humor” via comic strips as a means for highlighting cross-cultural perplexities to promote mutual respect and understanding between settler colonial society and Native American communities.