Humor and Healing in the Nonfiction Works of Jim Northrup

Jim Northrup occupies a somewhat unique place among current-day Native American writers. His writings are well known, and he often travels to give readings. He continues to live, as much as is possible today, a traditional Anishinaabe life on the Fond du Lac Reservation in northern Minnesota. Northrup is best known for his work of fiction, Walking the Rez Road, a collection of short stories and poems loosely centered on the character of Luke Warmwater.¹ Northrup has other writings as well. His memoir is entitled, The Rez Road Follies: Canoes, Casinos, Computers, and Birch Bark Baskets.² He also publishes a nationally syndicated newspaper column, “Fond du Lac Follies.”³ From 1993 to 1995, he also published a monthly column on Native American issues in the Duluth News Tribune. To date, however, critical analysis of his work has only focused on Walking the Rez Road.⁴ I would like to amend this shortcoming by examining the nonfiction works of Northrup, paying special attention to the healing power of humor.

It is my contention that Northrup’s writing can help us understand the process by which the comic vision is assisting the Anishinaabeg recover from the effects of postapocalypse stress syndrome.⁵ I will begin by providing a brief biography of Northrup’s life before explaining the comic vision of the Anishinaabeg and postapocalypse stress syndrome. From there, I will present the negative aspects of Native American life, especially violence and inept tribal governments. In Northrup’s case, the violent side of life included a combat tour as a Marine infantryman in Vietnam. Life for Native Americans is not all bad, though, and the pleasant side of Native American life will be covered, too, including relatives, the seasonal cycles, and fighting for treaty rights. Finally, I discuss the role of storytelling and humor as a means of healing. As will be seen, the net effect is that Northrup’s writing illustrates how the Anishinaabeg are healing the wounds of their culture.

Bio Graphical Look at Northrup

Jim Northrup is now in his mid-60s, “almost an elder” as he likes to say.⁶ At this point in his career, he is a nationally recognized writer. Long before he acquired his current acclaim, however, Northrup was living an entirely different life. He grew up on the Fond du Lac Reservation, the oldest child in a family of thirteen. Like many Native American children of the period, he was sent off to boarding school, first to a federal school in Pipestone, Minnesota, and then to a Methodist-run school near Hot Springs, South Dakota. He got into trouble early in life for “aggravated buffoonery with intent to mope,” and also did a stint in reform school in Red Wing, Minnesota.⁷ His parole officer gave him two choices: He could finish high school or go back to Red Wing. His mother and father also wanted him to be the first person in the family to graduate from high school. He completed his secondary education and became one of the few Native Americans to graduate from high school in the state at the time.

After graduating from high school, Northrup enlisted in the Marine Corps, and eventually did a tour of duty in Vietnam in a combat capacity. After returning to the United States, he worked for a time as a police officer, but he found the work too depressing and wound up leaving the profession. For a while he lived in a tepee in a somewhat remote part of the Fond du Lac Reservation, which is located near Duluth in northeastern Minnesota. It was while living there that his writing career began. When friends and family gathered in his tepee, one of their favorite pastimes was to tell stories. Northrup relates that he wanted to be prepared for these storytelling sessions and began writing notes to himself to get ready. He soon realized he had enough material to begin writing short stories. His collection of stories evolved into Walking the Rez Road.⁸

Becoming known as a writer was the genesis for his nonfiction...