The Classic Stereotype of the Native american

There are approximately 2 million American Indians and Alaska Natives living in the U.S. They fall into about 300 different tribal or language groups. Alcohol abuse has caused compounded problems for these people. The problems also have led to an unfortunate stereotype of these people. This stereotype “perpetuates” the image that all Indian people are afflicted with alcohol problems. No one really pays attention to the vast number of Indian people who are sober and live productive lives (Oetting and Beauvais 1989).

Before the Europeans arrived and started to colonize, there were no alcoholic beverages like there are today. Some tribes produced a weak beer or other fermented beverages for ceremonial purposes only. When European colonists suddenly made large amounts of “spirits” and wine available to the Indians, the tribes had little time to develop social, legal, or moral guidelines to regulate alcohol use. Colonists often used it to establish trade for highly sought after animal skins and other resources. Traders found that serving alcohol at trade meetings gave them a distinct advantage in their negotiations (Liban and Smart 1982; Silk-Walker 1988).

Extreme intoxication became more frequent in the inexperienced Indian popul

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Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis are 3. When Indian youth drank, however, they appeared to drink in heavier amounts and experience more negative consequences from their drinking than did their non-Indian peers (Beauvais 1996). That legislation was repealed in 1953, and tribes were given the option of retaining prohibition or allowing the sale and consumption of alcohol on reservations.

Although identification of the genetic factors that contribute to alcoholism may aid in our understanding of the risk for alcoholism, identifying these factors may not help reduce alcoholism among populations where it is most prevalent. population in general, the American Indian population is especially at risk for alcohol-related consequences. Some even believe that it could be passed on genetically. About the same proportion of Indian and non-Indian youth in grades 7 to 12 had ever tried alcohol in their lifetime. Nearly twice as many Indian men as Indian women die from alcohol-related causes between ages 45 and 64, the peak age range for such deaths. Other influences, such as social and cultural factors, are at least as potent, and possibly more potent, than genetics in the development of alcoholism. So far, the evidence seems to indicate that although some proportion of alcoholism risk may be heritable, this trait varies more within population groups than between them. Numerous historical accounts describe violent “bouts” of drinking among tribes during trading sessions and on other occasions.

Evidence for a genetic component in the “susceptibility” to alcoholism has been increasing over the past three decades. Approximately 34 percent of this age group reported having been drunk in the past month. Little is known about the effects of the Federal legislation before 1953, although most observers would agree that is was not very effective.

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