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VIEWPOINT: Getting alcoholism right in Indian Country

By Mike Eshkibok
Published Monday, March 05, 2007

GRAND FORKS - It's true that alcoholism and drug abuse have caused terrible
problems for many North American Indians. But it's also true that great
numbers of Indians can drink socially (or not drink at all) and not incur
serious problems.

For the media, striking a balance between those two facts is central to
“getting the story right.”

Alcoholism's prevalence among Indians not only has caused enormous physical
and emotional problems. It also has led to stereotyping, including in
movies as recent and popular as “Flags of Our Fathers” and “Apocalypto.”
These powerful films depict Indians in a violent or stereotypical way,
suggesting that all Indians are afflicted with drug and alcohol problems.

Like all stereotypes, this one is inaccurate because it ignores the
uniqueness of each individual. One might expect a more balanced portrayal
of Indians in the world of science; but unfortunately, scientific inquiry -
with its emphasis on defining and solving problems - has not focused on the
vast number of Indians who maintain sober and productive lives.

Then there is the fact that science and the media have focused on Indians
living on reservations, even though for decades, the federal government
enforced an assimilationist policy that removed Indians from their lands
and made their coping mechanisms illegal.

Before European colonization started, Indians were relatively unaffected by
alcohol. Although some tribes produced weak beers or other fermented
beverages, these generally were used for ceremonial purposes. The
distillation of more potent forms of alcohol was unknown.

When European colonists suddenly made large quantities of distilled spirits
available, the Indians had little time to develop legal, moral and social
procedures to regulate alcohol use. Traders found that providing free
alcohol during trading gave them an advantage in their negotiations with
Indians. Extreme intoxication was common among the colonists, and was a
powerful example for the social use of alcohol among the inexperienced
Indian population.

Thus, history may have sown the seeds for the prevalence of alcohol abuse
among today's Indians. Early demand, no regulation and strong encouragement
likely helped form a “tradition” of heavy alcohol use passed down from
generation to generation, which has led to the current high level of
alcohol-related problems.

But remember: A “high level” does not mean 100 percent or anything close to
it.

Today, educated American Indians themselves must keep this in mind, as they
study and testify about the alcoholism rate on reservations, said Monique
Vondall-Rieke, director of the Native Media Center at UND.

And “it's important to set the record straight,” Vondall-Rieke added.

“When you come from a race of people who have been annihilated, assimilated
and culturally stripped of their lifestyles, you are bound to have these
social problems and other pitfalls. These social ills are historically
proven to be a direct result of the negative attitudes people have taken
toward American Indians. I believe we need to address the public relations
at home in each American Indian community at the same time we try to help
mainstream media to ‘get the story right.'"

Unfortunately, stereotypes are all that most Americans use to define Indian
people, said Donna Brown, assistant director at UND's American Indian
Student Services.

“To dispel stereotypes, people need to take it upon themselves to visit
organizations such as the schools, colleges and hospitals on Indian
reservations,” Brown added.

“They would find that life is not all negative, and that Indian people have
goals and hope for the future, just like everyone else.”

A personal note: When I was young, I did not know that I suffered from
alcoholism, because all of the whites and Indians I knew drank like I did.
Today, I have not taken a drink in 25 years. This has made me more aware of
alcohol's effects and consequences, and I know today that the answers to my
problems lie within me and with the God of my understanding.

I found my answers through Alcoholics Anonymous' 12-step program. There are
a lot of similarities between AA and American Indian culture, especially
the parts about sharing and living in the present.

Fighting an addiction can be a lonely journey. Spirituality is the best way
I know of to overcome any addiction.

As mentioned above, great numbers of Indians can drink socially and not
incur serious problems. But for those Indians who can't, going back to
their own culture and traditions that allowed us to survive for tens of
thousands of years would be a move in the right direction.

To sum up, what we are saying is this: “Walk a mile in my moccasins before
you criticize me.”

Eshkibok, an Ojibwe Indian, is a doctoral student at the UND School of
Communication.