It started six years ago, backstage at an amateur comedy competition in Farmington, New Mexico.  Twenty-two contestants, all Native, with only four finalists making the cut to appear onstage at the local civic center.   One of the four, James Junes, got a bad case of the nerves.  After all, he’d done this on a lark; he’d never performed standup in his life.  What was he thinking?  Panicked, budding comedian James rushed out of the civic center to head home; it was a soothing phone call with his wife that changed his plans, and serendipitously, his life.   

Equally unnerved, another first-time comic was pacing backstage reciting nonsensical rhymes to keep focused.  Ernie Tsosie and James introduced themselves to each other, and as fate would have it, James and Ernie won first and second place honors their first time at the microphone. 

That was the start of James and Ernie, Native America’s clean fun and clean living comedy team.  In the nearly six years since that first meeting, the Navajo duo have entertained audiences throughout the Four Corners region to the Kennedy Center in Washington with their unique style of sketch-prop comedy mixed with musical parodies.  What makes their humor stand apart is their innately personal perspective as contemporary Natives, even when those details include their own battles with alcohol addiction. 

“I want to tell the audience what happened to us.  For me, I’ve been substance free for five years,” Ernie says.  “I stopped drinking, finally, because I had one too many DUIs and my wife almost divorced me.  I nearly lost my family and basically lost all my dignity and respect because of alcohol.  I even lost two jobs.” 

This kind of candor plus good ol’ fashioned belly-laugh humor has catapulted the two skittish amateurs to full-time comedians in demand throughout the southwest, and more recently, performances in Florida, South Dakota, Minnesota, British Columbia, and yeah, even the Kennedy Center.  The reason for their ascension, however, may come as a surprise.  Then again, maybe not. 

In our coarse culture where drunkenness is a spectator sport shared gratuitously on MySpace, it’s at once curious and encouraging when two guys can stand onstage extolling the virtues of a healthy lifestyle.  That respecting women is a good thing.  That sobriety is a good thing. 

“We want to be different in that we have a positive message and be positive roles models kids can look up to,” Ernie explains.  “You can do that without preaching to people, by putting ourselves in there and talk about what happened to us and our own experiences.”  

For those of us prone to climbing atop soap boxes, that sounds plenty good.  But let’s be honest; I’m not James and Ernie’s target market and as much as I hope it works, well, does it?  Do audiences, particularly young audiences, tune out—or worse—totally scorn the ethos of substance-free living and self-respect? 

“Surprisingly, no," he says. "They’ve backed us up, man.  The people; the audiences.   In fact, sometimes we’re hired strictly for that—to do workshops, conferences, and be keynote speakers.  It’s been amazing.” 

Proof?  Between the jokes about Wal-Mart, teen lust, and rez-life parodies, they have produced a DVD, James and Erniefied ’04,  and their careers as comedians and motivational speakers continue to grow.  Ernie, a professional actor, has performed onstage and onscreen in several productions including Thief of Time  and Fifth World;  likewise both appear in the new feature film, Mile Post 398.  

Meanwhile, James Junes and Ernie Tsosie continue speaking to groups and making audiences laugh; always remembering to spread the message.  And that fact should bring a smile to everyone’s face.  

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Copies of the DVD James and Erniefied '04  can be purchased through their official website: www.jamesandernie.com