The following are rambling thoughts regarding a serious subject and are based on my limited understanding of Native American life and culture. I by no means consider myself an expert so I could have some things wrong and need to be corrected. I just want to note that not all reservations are in bad shape some have made great strides to combat poverty and substance abuse. It does seem the more remote a tribe’s reservation is the more social and economic problems they seem to have.
“Oglala Sioux Tribe sues Whiteclay stores, beer makers, distributors” Whiteclay is a small town with that boarder the Pine Ridge Reservation. Whiteclay has four beer stores and even though the population is like 14 people +/-the beer stores sell like 4 or 5 million beers per year which is like 11,000 to 14,000 beers a day. Because of alcohol reservations such as Pine Ridge have high incidents of violence, domestic violence, rape, health problems and fetal alcohol syndrome to name a few.
Now several reservations have issue with alcohol, drugs and crime but it seems that Northern Plains reservations tend to higher amounts of it which is due to that they tend to be more remote and impoverished. Pine Ridge Oglala Sioux Tribe Reservation has about 40,000 members living on the Reservation and have an 80% unemployment rate and according to their law suit they claim that 85% of their members are affected by alcoholism. The last I heard alcohol was banned on the Reservation and I think that includes even consuming alcohol on the Reservation is illegal. In a NY Times article “Brutal Crimes Grip an Indian Reservation” Feb 2, 2012 discussed alcohol, violence and crime issues associated with the Wind River Reservation home of Arapahoe and Eastern Shoshone tribes in Wyoming and even with two casinos the still have 80% unemployment and issues with poverty, addiction and crime.
Alcohol entered Native American life by Europeans especially through fur traders. Many young adult natives typically ran the fur trade for their tribes or at least for their own interest with European. Euro/white fur traders found if they provided alcohol (which typically was partially water downed) before trading with Indians, at certain periods in time it was illegal to trade alcohol for furs but traders could give them alcohol before or after trading which in many case after Indians got a taste before trading commenced they ended up more interested in getting more alcohol which they would get after trading was done and usually it was even more watered downed. Tribes before reservation life had the culture/spiritual safeguards to keep alcohol from becoming an overall problem in tribal society even though they did have cases of domestic violence becoming the first sign of troubles to come. In European culture the abuse of alcohol was seen as lack of moral character if not the Devil itself but in most Native culture the drinker was never blamed for their action because they were under influence of alcohol, so it was alcohol’s fault not the individual.
There are many different types of tribes, east and west Coastal tribes, river and Great Lake tribes, Northeast and Southeast Woodland tribes, Southwestern semi-nomadic and agrarian tribes, Southern Plains nomadic tribes, Northern Plains nomadic tribes and a few others types. Coastal, river, Great Lake, certain Southwestern and Woodland tribes tend to less nomadic and had more agrarian capabilities compare to their nomadic Plains cousins. Nomadic Plains tribes did have some capabilities of raising food but it was more like gardening and not farming. Nomadic Plains tribes tend to be more hunter/gathers.
When the government put Indians tribes on reservations it really changed their lives. Government geniuses at the time thought that Northern Plains tribes such as the Sioux and Arapahoe as well as Southern Plains tribes like the Comanche who tend to be nomadic/hunter/gatherer/horse cultures could become farmers. Farming was difficult in most cases for Northern Plains tribes mainly due to the land they were usually placed on as well as other problems. So they ended up dependent on the government to feed them which also was not as simple as it sounds, mainly due to scrupulous government Indian Agents who tend to sell a portion of a tribe’s supplies on the black-market and in some cases supplies that did reach tribes maybe spoiled. During the American Civil War the Federal Government would redirect money that was owed to Indians on reservations to the Union war efforts. In one such case when annuities as per treaty agreement was held up that was due to the Dakota Sioux and local and Federal traders refused to extend credit to the Sioux so that they could get food and add in that the Sioux were starving ended up leading to the Sioux uprising of 1862. The government also banned many tribal traditions and rites which was the heart of their society and identity.
Before Indians were placed on a reservation they lived in tribal civilization which a lot people don’t understand. Everyone in a tribe had a job to do and the tribe’s survival dependent on it. Each family had to take care of themselves but also helping others in the tribe. There were all kinds of jobs that the able body adults did such as utilitarian jobs of getting, preparing and cooking food, gathering wood, making tools, weapons and weaving baskets and making clothes. Also military/security aka Warrior class which warriors would patrol tribe’s territory, yes Indians were territorial and claimed certain land as theirs own and even took land from other tribes if they’re were strong enough to do so. Then there were the spiritual jobs such as the Holy Man and Medicine Man. Then the artistic jobs such musicians, story tellers and dancers. Plus the tribal leadership and council such as the Tribe’s Chief, sub-chiefs, clan heads and elders. As soon as a child could walk they were being trained to work for the family and the tribe. Teenagers would be allow to do nothing, boys would be out on the hunt or practicing hunting or fighting skills or they would be put out on watch for the tribe or taking care and keeping watching on the horses or out stealing horses from rival tribes. Typically a boy will eventually replace his father whether it is warrior or Holy Man if they have the aptitude to do so. Teenage girls would babysit; help gather, preparing and cooking food and water. They would learn to make baskets and clothes. They might even be put on watch duty of the horses. Agrarian tribes of course had farming, herding and fishing add to the jobs to do. Only the ill or the very old were excused from working. The lame and very old still found something to do even if it’s babysitting, tribal or family history education. Tribes and members were self-sufficient, interdependent and communal. The number one job the adults and elders had was teaching the next generation about the tribe, tradition, rituals and how to survive.
So many Indians particularly the Plains/nomadic tribes who sat on a reservation with nothing to do but wait for their government allotments created the ideal environment for alcoholism which has its connection with abuse and violence then in modern time the addition to of drug addiction.
National Survey on Drug Use and Health, January 19, 2007
• In 2002-2005, American Indians and Alaska Natives were more likely than members of other racial groups to have a past year alcohol use disorder (10.7 vs. 7.6 percent)
• In 2002-2005, American Indians and Alaska Natives were more likely than members of other racial groups to have a past year illicit drug use disorder (5.0 vs. 2.9 percent)
• Rates of past year marijuana, cocaine, and hallucinogen use disorders were higher among American Indians and Alaska Natives than among members of other racial groups
Yet, the National Institutes of Health theorize that some Indians may "drink rapidly to induce an altered state of consciousness, a practice congruent with some Native American practices," which I don’t think is the reason for most Indians but maybe a few but I could see most using alcohol to alter their state of consciousness due to depression and hopelessness. But could it also be a predisposition to alcoholism/addiction or that Indians lack the large amount of enzymes in the stomach that would be need break down alcohol more efficiently.
I’m sure there are Native Americans who may drink responsibly but there are many who are not so lucky. Now the few Indians I knew didn’t bother with alcohol or drugs. I have no doubt that poverty and high unemployment have a part to play in this. Many Reservations have high unemployment even those with casinos. In a Forbes article
“Why Are Indian Reservations So Poor? A Look At The Bottom 1%” it points out that many Indians on reservation can’t take out loans against the homes because they don’t own the property that the land it sits on because most reservations land is communally owned. This of course makes it difficult for these Natives Americans to consolidate debt with a home loan or even get a loan to possibly start a business or by a reliable car to even get to a job. In the Forbes article when it comes to business Bill Yellowtail, a former Crow official and a former Montana state senator says this:
“Our people don’t understand business. After 10 or 15 generations of not being involved in business, they’ve lost their feel for it. Capitalism is considered threatening to our identity, our traditions. Successful entrepreneurs are considered sell-outs, they’re ostracized. We have to promote the dignity of self-sufficiency among Indians. Instead we have a culture of malaise: ‘The tribe will take care of us.’ We accept the myth of communalism. And we don’t value education. We resist it.”
But Yellowtail believes that the situation is improving. He says there are more entrepreneurs than 20 years ago as networks of Native American business people have sprung up in Montana and elsewhere. “We have to start with micro loans, encouraging small businesses. Then we have to make it okay to leave the reservation because the most successful are going to want to branch out. Entrepreneurs are going to have to stick their neck out, be a role model. We Indians are going to have to do it.”
There will be no easy answers especially during these times where most American are dealing with unemployment and economic hard times. But this can also be seen as a lesson about what could happen to a society that becomes dependent on the government to take care of them. Several reservations have to deal with high levels of unemployment, alcohol/drug abuse, violence, unable to get loans, poor education and high dropout rates. Are not these problems also seen in high welfare communities and government housing communities in America?
I know the alcohol/drug problem seems pretty bleak for Indians but there are many Indians who are getting sober who are now helping other tribe members and tribes are now putting focus on their youth and encouraging them to pursue education, sport and the arts as well as connecting with tribal traditions and langauge. But this still doesn’t resolve the immedite issues of high unemployment and poverty but maybe this next generation of warriors will win these battles for their tribes.
UR
