Laugh, reflect, and connect through Indigenous humor. Join us for a night of stand-up and storytelling with some dynamic voices in comedy. Come engage, unwind, and celebrate the power of Indigenous voices through comedy, connection, and cultural insight.

Our featured guest is Blake Pickens (Chickasaw), an Emmy Award–winning comedian, writer, and filmmaker. A graduate of USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program, Blake began writing satire for The National Lampoon and is a founding member of A Tribe Called Sketch, the first all-Native sketch show on a U.S. Second City stage.

He produced the Sundance-premiering films The Land and Wild Indian, as well as the Emmy-winning P&G commercial The Talk and John Legend’s MTV VMA-winning Surefire. His writing credits include Nickelodeon’s Rugrats reboot and Netflix’s Spirit Rangers. Blake is currently in post-production on The Roof for Disney+/Launchpad and is part of IlluEnd your Friday at The Forge with an evening of sharp wit, storytelling, and Indigenous humor at IndigeNash Comedy Night, featuring two standout voices in contemporary comedy.

Joining him is Eddie Ortiz, a Los Angeles–born, Nashville-based comedian whose wild hair, easy warmth, and “bananas” true-life stories have made him a favorite on stages across the country. His humor is quick, candid, and joyfully unpredictable, offering a fresh and heartfelt perspective on everyday chaos.

Together, they deliver a night of laughter and connection, celebrating Indigenous storytelling through humor in its most vibrant form.miNative’s Producers Program.