Alcohol Dependency Among Native Americans

Alcoholism is one of our nation’s largest social issues to date, and carries with it many negative aspects, the most dire being death at the hands of this disease. Alcohol and alcoholism have been part of societies for centuries. This habit was brought over to the new world when the first settlers landed on the shores of what was to become America. Furthermore, in bringing alcohol to this new land an entire nation of Native American Indians were introduced to a product that has affected them more negatively than any other to date, and continues to suffer from today and probably well into the future.

At first, it came as a surprise to me that there are still many tribes who are trying to become federally recognized and colonize land again just like before to continue their culture and identity. By now, I would had imagined that the Native Americans are at peace and can continue their traditions. However, I have come to discover that Natives Americans are still fighting for social justice when they have existed here way before Christopher Columbus discovered their land and called them, Indians. The impact that these social justice issues has on me is that the issues in which Native Americans face cannot be entirely solved. It is an impossible action to fix.

Though American Indians are enjoying an independent public health system with above $3 billion funds provided by Congress annually for delivering healthcare services to them, still figure and facts on health status of American Indians reveal that they are facing many difficulties and have to suffer from diverse type of illness and disease at a misappropriate level. Since long it was identified by medical communities that there are wide spread diseases diabetes, alcoholism, tuberculosis, suicide, unintentional injuries, and other health conditions among American Indian and they are dying of these diseases at shocking rates (American Heart Association [AHA], 2010). Through this essay I want to discuss the healthcare status of American Indians in the perspective of their culture as how it impacted and lead to develop mistrust between amongst the medical community and American Indians.

of alcoholism and its impact upon the lives of the Native Americans, Alexie does not aim to put

Some people disagree with the idea that the Native Americans are not solely to blame for their addiction to alcohol. When considering how a person feels about this topic, they must take into consideration the fact that it was not an issue for the Native Americans before the white settlers arrived. Their lives were much simpler, and they did not have to face this problem. Instead, they fell into deep poverty due to their inability to avoid drinking in excess. They could not keep jobs, and put an emphasis on buying liquor, rather than food. Also, the treatment that the white people reserved for the Native

The history of alcohol and drug abuse can be dated back for hundreds of years around the world; in addition, the side effects from abuse can last just as long. The extent of alcohol and drug abuse may change dramatically due to societal views and normality such as the Prohibition era and the legalization of medicinal marijuana. Understanding alcohol and drug abuse means that one must not examine the behavior of the drinker, but also the place, time, and context of the consumption of drugs and alcohol. Dating back to the Mayflower, the New World welcomed the brewing of beer and ale as a tradition of the early culture. The consumption of alcohol was excessive- it was consumed from the crack of dawn to the crack of dawn, at work, alone, together,

Native Americans have existed in the different regions-the plains, mountains, marshes- of the North American continent- long before the United States existed. Yet, most were not treated with the respect and dignity that the white American settlers were given. Viewed as outlandish and savage by white settlers, series of negotiations to “correct” the Indian way of life were implemented- through forced relocation, war, and assimilation into white culture. Those who stood up against the American government were viewed as beacons of hope by their fellow Native Americans. Many Native American traditions still exist today, but unfortunately most of them have been lost along with their people.

Before one can formulate a plan, regarding the subject of alcohol abuse and addiction, one needs to develop a thorough understanding of the introduction of alcohol within Aboriginal communities and how this introduction impacted Aboriginal health and well-being. Contact between the Aboriginal people and the European

Mexican-American has the highest use of alcohol use than other Hispanics of Latin decent. About 18 percent of Hispanic men and 6 percent of Hispanic women experienced at least one alcohol-related problem (Caetano, 1989), and Hispanic men encounter alcohol-related problems than African American and white men. The use of alcohol amongst Native Americans is greatly diverse. Not all tribes but some abstain from alcohol entirely. Native Americans were introduced to alcohol during the 19th century. Not being familiar with the substance the consumption of alcohol became a problem. Laws were made to prevent Native Americans from drinking but that law was repealed in 1953. Rates of heavy drinking are the highest amongst Native Americans, including Alaska Native (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2002), tribal groups differ. For example, the Pueblo tribe of southwestern U.S completely abstain from drinking, where as 42 percent of Ojibwa adults are heavy drinkers (Longclaws, Barnes, grieve, and Dumoff, 1980). Other groups drink

Native Americans as a whole have been typecast as drunks ever since the coming of the white man’s “fire water.” TS Naimi, MD et al. reports that alcohol is responsible for 11.7% of all American Indian and Alaska Native deaths, compared to 3.3% for the U.S. general population (939). This disturbing discrepancy reinforces the age old notion of the “drunk Indian.” Generalizations aside, is there some truth to this stereotype? Are Indians more likely than other races to be drunks? Of all the races, “Native Americans have the highest prevalence (12.1%) of heavy drinking…A larger percentage of Native Americans (29.6%) also are binge drinkers” (Chartier and Caetano 153). Although some research has been done on genetic causes, little is

            In this article Denise Martinez-Ramundo, talks about what she saw on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. She talks about how much and how severe the alcohol abuse is on the reservation. She says that children as young as five or six years old have had alcoholic drinks. She also gives us the staggering statistic that 80-90% of adults on the Reservation have severe alcohol abuse problems. Lining the streets of the Pine Ridge

Native Americans have struggled to rise above and escape their impoverished reservations because they use alcohol to cope. The alcohol causes the Natives to lower their ambitions and become self destructive. Many might claim that alcohol abuse is not that common on reservations and is not the main source of scarcity of Native success. Not all Native Americans engage in alcoholism. There are “many tribes and individual Native Americans [who] practice abstinence and drinking in moderation, aligning the substance abuse levels of their tribe with the rest of the country” (addictiontreatment.org). It is evident that there is no absolute when it comes to the amount of Native Americans who abuse alcohol. Many are conscious of the disastrous effects

However, in order to understand the culture of the Native Americans, it is important to study each group distinctly from the other. While the history of the Native Americans is beyond the scope of this paper, it suffices to note that the enduring cultural practices of the Native Americans have had an impact on the abuse of substances such as Alcohol (Moore Gay, 2010). The prevalence of alcohol among this cultural group has been influenced in two ways: by a misperception, social rules, norms and customs, and traditions that have normalized drinking among certain tribes.

Regardless of identity, alcoholism is a serious problem that affects all populations. Yet nationwide, the alcohol dependency rate is six times greater for Native Americans than that of the general population, according to estimates from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2014). Alcoholism and alcohol-related problems have created serious issues in Native American communities, but in recent decades, substantial advances have been found to understand sources and solutions to these problems. New research into the way alcohol is metabolized by the body and its effects on drinking behavior have been found to contribute to the development of alcohol dependence. Substantial genetic and environmental components likely contribute critically to alcohol dependence among many Native Americans (Ehlers, Gizer, 2013). It is known that people vary substantially in their drinking behavior and sensitivity to alcohol. This variation is of great interest because recent studies have suggested that alcoholism has both genetic and environmental factors, yet their influences on alcoholism are still unknown. While some progress has been made in the search for answers, this inquiry is far from over. Understanding the scientific and environmental basis of alcohol use and abuse amidst American Indians could provide solutions to alcohol-related problems in Native communities in America.

Alcoholism is the leading health and social problem of American Indians than any other race. Native Americans who end up leaving the reservation to pursue education or employment opportunities express a high degree of discomfort and anxiety as a result of “feeling caught in two worlds.” By leaving the reservation they are abandoning their traditions, however temporarily, and suffering a sense of personal loss and insecurity. In entering a new world, this sense of loss and insecurity is heightened and becomes exacerbated, particularly if they do not experience success or acceptance in the new environment (Major, A.K. A 2003). However, if success and acceptance in the new world occurs, these individuals will still suffer the pangs of abandonment since they can never fully return to the reservation. In some cases, forced assimilation has extinguished the culture from many Indians as their grandparents and parents were forced to abandon the old ways in order to become more American. Thomas Jefferson, as well as many others believed that Native Americans can be just as ‘White’ Americans. In an attempt to increase local employment opportunities, many tribes have turned to gambling casinos and the collateral business which support these ventures. Illegal activities would certainly increase among Indians because of the simple fact that they need to survive by any means necessary. This can all