The comedy cure

Laughter really is one of the best medicines -- just ask James Junes or Ernest Tsosie III.

The Navajo comedians have been taking the stage together for 14 years, drawing on their own experiences to appeal to Native American audiences around the country. They make jokes about growing up and growing old, family, traditions, dark times and celebrations, daily realities and worn-out stereotypes. Queue up a YouTube video of one of their past performances, and the first thing you'll notice is the laughter rolling from the audience. It's good for the body and soul, they say.

For Junes and Tsosie, comedy is more than simple entertainment.

"From the beginning, we wanted to be performers with a message," Tsosie said.

The duo bill themselves as "sober and drug-free performers, presenters and motivational speakers," and say their work aims to help people recognize their own value and potential. Both men overcame their own personal challenges; each had his own path to sobriety. With comedy, those experiences become relatable messages of hope.

"I think the main goal is to help people realize that they can better themselves; that they can push forward with whatever obstacles that they have; that they too can achieve their dreams," Junes said. "Personally, I made a mess of my life, being an alcoholic, being a drug addict. But we made the mess of our lives be our message."

The pair first met at a comedy competition in Farmington, New Mexico, in 2001. Some might call it chance, but they call it fate. There were relatively few Native American comics at the time, Tsosie said, and according to Junes, a career in comedy "was the furthest thing from both of our minds." But somehow, from a field of nearly two dozen competitors, the two made it to the very final round.

"It's kind of one of those things where you have a wakeup call: 'This is your god-given ability. What are you gonna do with it?'" Junes recalled.

A year later, the two found themselves unexpectedly sharing a stage again while performing at a behind-schedule charity fundraiser event. Their joint act was a hit. They decided to see where it would take them, and James & Ernie Comedy was born.

"We knew we were onto something special," Tsosie said.

Since then, the duo has traveled across the United States and Canada, appearing at community gatherings, corporate events and other occasions. They've been named "Comedians of the Year" at the North American Indigenous Image Awards and brought their act to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Comedy eventually became their full-time job. It took them north to Alaska, and they're scheduled to come back. In mid-March, they're set to perform in Nome and Fairbanks. In June, they're headed to Barrow and Bethel.

They say they don't rehearse their slapstick style. Instead, they test their new material on the stage, and they get a rush from the audience reactions. After a particularly good show, it's hard to sleep.

"You feed off their energy," Junes said. "It's so amazing when you hear that energy reciprocated."

"For me personally, it is one of the best medicines," Tsosie said. "I used to take that cliche for granted."

At their shows, the laughs let them know they've hit a few funny bones, but they say it's the things people tell them afterward that let them know they're making a difference. People say they feel happier; one woman claimed to have laughed so hard she coughed up a blood clot and alleviated some malady. Some people cite the duo's act as an inspiration to stay sober. That's what James & Ernie Comedy is all about.

"Everyone's human. We all have struggles," Tsosie said. "But I want to be remembered for something important: Native health, and not letting alcohol conquer me, but conquering it."

For Junes, the message always stays the same, even though the jokes may change.

"Don't limit yourself on your talent; don't limit yourself on your dreams," he said. "That's the lasting impression that I want to make."

The James & Ernie Comedy Duo is scheduled to perform in Nome March 17, 3:30 p.m., Nome Elementary School, and in Fairbanks March 18, 6:30 p.m., Raven Hall. Proceeds from the shows will benefit the ANTHC Patient Housing Facility at Alaska Native Medical Center.

? This story was sponsored by Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, a nonprofit Tribal health organization designed to meet the unique health needs of more than 150,000 Alaska Native and American Indian people living in Alaska.?

This article was produced by the special content department of Alaska Dispatch News in collaboration with ANTHC. The ADN newsroom was not involved in its production.