GETTING ALCOHOLISM RIGHT IN INDIAN COUNTRY by Mike Eshkibok

VIEWPOINT : Getting alcoholism right in Indian Country
By Mike Eshkibok, Grand Forks Herald ND
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.