Dec 9 – Guest Lecture: Humor on Social Media as Practice of Native American Survivance 🗓

This talk explores the dynamic intersection of Indigenous presence, humor, and survivance within contemporary social media platforms. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Gerald Vizenor’s concept of survivance, the presentation examines how Indigenous content creators utilize humor as a powerful tool for cultural continuity and self-determination. The presentation will outline key concepts of survivance, including manifest manners and the post-Indian, before exploring how humor can serve as a practice of survivance. Focusing on case studies of the comedy group The 1491s and content creators Eagle Blackbird and Che Jim, we will discuss specific examples of Indigenous humor on social media that challenge stereotypes, educate non-Native audiences, and reclaim control over cultural representation.

Teresa Fischler is a doctoral student at the University of Passau. Her research interests include indigenous survivance, autobiography, and social media. Alongside her studies, she is working at the University of Passau, where she is involved with internationalisation and teacher education.

You can download the poster for the event here.