StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

The Issue of American Indians Alcoholism - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
From the paper "The Issue of American Indians Alcoholism", known as Native Americans, American Indians are members of any of the aboriginal peoples of the Western Hemisphere; however, the term often connotes only those groups whose original territories were in present-day Canada and the USA…
Download free paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.2% of users find it useful
The Issue of American Indians Alcoholism
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The Issue of American Indians Alcoholism"

?American Indians Alcoholism Introduction Also known as Native Americans, American Indians are members of any of the aboriginal peoples of the Western Hemisphere; however, the term often connote only those groups whose original territories were in present-day Canada and United States (Encyclop?dia Britannica). The United States Census Bureau defines American Indian as “a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment. This category includes people who indicated their race(s) as “American Indian or Alaska Native” or reported their enrolled or prin­cipal tribe, such as Navajo, Blackfeet, Inupiat, Yup’ik, or Central American Indian groups or South American Indian groups” (Humes, Jones and Ramirez 3). This ethnic group makes up 0.9% of the United States population (Humes, Jones and Ramirez 4). Alcoholism, defined as the excessive and repetitive drinking of alcoholic beverages despite physical, mental, social, or economic harm (Encyclop?dia Britannica), is reported to be prevalent among the American Indians (Welty 49). These reports have led to the stereotyping of this ethnic group as alcoholics. For instance, figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did show that some members of this ethnic group abuse alcohol beverages to the detriment of their health (Jalonick). Be that as it may, results from epidemiological studies indicated that some American Indians are less likely to use alcohol than are members of other ethnic groups in the United States (Beals, Spicer and Mitchell 1683; Spicer and Beauvais). Thus one may wonder why the American Indians should be stereotyped as alcoholics. This research seeks to investigate the use of alcoholic beverages among this ethnic group. Findings from this research will help in resolving the issue of stereotyping. Alcoholism among American Indians The American Indians have been stereotypes as “drunks”. This stereotype has labeled all American Indians as a group afflicted with alcohol problems. Scientific investigations have also compounded the problem with the vast amount of published reports that focused only on the American Indian population that abuse alcohol while, either by design or default, neglect the large number of American Indians that maintain sober lives. Another shortcoming of these scientific reports is that these investigations are carried out on American Indians groups that account for less than one-third of the American Indian population i.e. those Indians that live on reservations and/or on traditional Indian lands. Historically, the American Indians acquired the abuse of alcohol from the colonist (Beauvais 253). Indeed, prior to the European conquest of North America, the Indians were “relatively naive” to the use of alcohol. Though some Indian tribes were known to have been producing fermented beverages, production of strong alcoholic drinks and high consumption of alcoholic drinks were unknown among the Indians. Contacts with the European trader led to the use and abuse of alcohol among the Indians, who has no guidelines on alcohol use. In addition, alcoholism was also prevalent among the colonizing traders thus the seed of alcoholism was sown among the American Indians by the colonizers. While alcoholism may, generally, be high among the American Indians, drinking habit varies significantly among tribes due to economic, cultural and ethical differences (Levy and Kunitz 97). For instance, a studies that use the number of patients that were discharged with an alcohol-related diagnosis from Indian Health Service indicated that northern Indian reservations has higher rates of diagnosis than southern reservations. The Alcohol use was also dependent on gender as the alcohol-related diagnosis was two-fold higher in men than in women (Hisnanick 32). Furthermore, some Indian youth and adults have been reported to consume large amount of alcohol over a short period of time and this group constitute the largest abusers of alcohol among Indian alcohol abusers (May 235). One of the reasons for the stereotyping of the American Indians is their alcohol-related health issues and auto crashes. For instance, reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows that 11.7 percent of deaths among American Indians and Alaska Natives between 2001 and 2005 were alcohol-related, compared with 3.3 percent for the U.S. as a whole (Jalonick). Furthermore, chronic liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis are 3.9 time as high in American Indian population as in the American population. Furthermore, figures also shows that alcohol-related fatal automobile accidents are 3 times as prevalent in the American Indian population as in the general population. Alcohol-related suicide and homicide have been reported to be 1.4 and 2.4 as high as in the general population, respectively (Beauvais 253). Furthermore, some Indian tribes are noted for the high rates of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Indeed, a FAS rate that ranges from 1.6-10.3 births per 1000 was observed for some tribes compare to the 2.2 births per 1,000 among the general population (May, Fetal alcohol effects among North American Indians: Evidence and implications for society. 239). While these figures clearly shows that the health implications of alcohol use is indeed greater on the American Indian population than on the non-Indian population, it did not demonstrate that Indian populations are engaged in repetitive consumption of alcohols. The higher levels of health problems may be point to the fact that those Indians who use alcohol consume excessively high amounts. Indeed, it has been reported recently that American Indians in some community are less likely to use alcohol than are other populations in the United States and that American Indian drinkers, however, consume more alcohol per drinking occasion than other populations (Beals, Spicer and Mitchell 1683; Spicer and Beauvais). While the alcoholic American Indians may be victims of European colonization, the health implication is apparent should be responsible enough to stop. Unfortunately many American Indian continue to indulge in alcoholism. A number of factors may be responsible for the continuous indulgence of the American Indians in alcoholism. First, are the high unemployment rates and the high school dropout rate among the American Indians populations. These conditions are enough to place a highly susceptible and marginalized ethnic group under social stress, which can make them predispose to alcoholism. Second, is the cultural collapse among the American Indians. Many Indian associated the loss of their culture with the social problems their ethnic group is currently experiencing. Thus many community-based alcohol treatment programs in Indian community have incorporated cultural or spiritual elements in order to re-introduce lost traditional values. Another cause of the alcoholism found among the American Indians is the physical and emotional abuse experienced by members of this ethnic group while in boarding schools. For instance, most American Indian raised in boarding schools was forcibly taken from their parents and the children by social service and were not granted access to their parents for months. Genetic factors have also been linked with alcoholism as observed among American Indians. Indeed, evidence of genetic element in the susceptibility to alcoholism has increased in recent years (Kendler, Prescott and Neale 313). Social pressure also makes American Indians to drink alcohol even when they are aware of the health implications of alcohol. Indeed, some of the American Indians who indulge in excessive consumption of alcohol regard drinking as a way of fraternizing with their family and friends. Some also regard drinking as being “Indian” and thus part of the American Indian culture. Indeed, cultural belief among the Indians also contributes to their excessive consumption of alcohol. Among some American Indian tribes, the resolution of a problem lies in the spirit realm. Thus no active step is taken by American Indians alcoholic to stop the excessive consumption of alcohol even when the health implication is apparent. Conclusion It is apparent from the research that some American Indians populations consume excessive amount of alcohol to the detriment of their health; however, the health implications did not suggest that American Indians are frequent or repetitive consumers of alcohols. Indeed, Beals et al. (p. 1683) shows that some of the American Indians are less likely to use alcohol compare to non-Indian groups; they consume excessive amounts when they do drink. Thus the higher levels of health-related problem among American Indian population may be due to the excessive consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. The research also showed that alcoholic American Indians are victims of European colonization and cultural collapse. From the research, I have come to realize the following: 1) that not every American Indian indulges in alcohol abuse and so the group should not be stereotyped. Indeed, alcohol abuse is common in other groups. The documented reports on alcoholism among the American Indian usually focused on certain groups that are predisposed to alcoholism (Beauvais 253); 2) that the alcoholism is foreign to the American Indians. Alcoholism is a European culture and thus the American Indian alcoholic is a victim of colonization; 3) that most American Indian alcoholics has come to accept alcoholism as a way of life. In fact it is “Indian” to drink and get drunk. Works Cited Beals, J., et al. "Racial Disparities in Alcohol Use: Comparison of 2 American Indian Reservation Populations With National Data ." American Journal of Public Health (2003): 1683-1685. Beauvais, F. "American Indians and Alcohol." Alcohol Health & Research World (1998): 253-259. Encyclop?dia Britannica. Alcoholism. 15 May 2011. 15 May 2011 . —. Native American. 15 May 2011. 15 May 2011 . Hisnanick, J. "The prevalence of alcohol abuse among American Indians and Alaska Natives." Health Values (1992): 32-37. Humes, K. R., N. A. Jones and , R. R. Ramirez. Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: 2010. 2010 Census Briefs. Washington DC: U.S. Department of CommerceEconomics and Statistics Administration. U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, 2010. Jalonick, M. C. Study: 12 percent of Indian deaths due to alcohol . September 2008. 15 May 2011 . Kendler, K., et al. "Temperance board registration for alcohol abuse in a national sample of Swedish males born 1902-1949." Archives of General Psychiary (1997): 313-321. Levy, J. and S. Kunitz. "Indian reservations, anomie and social pathologies." Southwestern Journal of Anthropology (1971): 97-128. May, P. "Fetal alcohol effects among North American Indians: Evidence and implications for society." Alcohol Health & Research World (1991): 239-248. May, P. "Overview of alcohol abuse epidemiology for American Indian populations." Sandefur, G., R Rindfuss and B Cohen. Changing Numbers, Changing Needs: American Indian Demography and Public Health. Washington DC: National Academy Press, 1996. 235-261. Spicer, P. and F. Beauvais. "Re-examining alcohol problems among American Indian communities." Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (2003). Welty, T. K. "The epidemiology of alcohol use and alcohol-related health problems among American Indians and Alaska Natives." Mail, P. D., et al. Alcohol Use Among American Indians and Alaska Natives: Multiple Perspectives on a Complex Problem. Bethesda, MD: US Dept of Health and Human Services, 2002. 49–70. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“American Indians Alcoholism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/literature/1422203-american-indians-alcoholism
(American Indians Alcoholism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words)
https://studentshare.org/literature/1422203-american-indians-alcoholism.
“American Indians Alcoholism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/literature/1422203-american-indians-alcoholism.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Issue of American Indians Alcoholism

Alcohol Consumption of American Indians

In every 100000 population covering both genders of american indians in the age group of 25-34 years, 62.... Answer: Population description: american indians including Alaska Natives have population of over 4 million in the United States (U.... american indians are characterized by their heterogeneity rather than its homogeneity, with over 500 tribes, are bound together by core values such as an emphasis on spirituality, recognition of the sacredness of all living things, and respect for the land and the natural world (Federal Register 2000)....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay

Smoke Signal Film Analysis

the issue of Alcoholism in the film is brought out by Victor's father who is an erratic alcoholic.... american indians inhabit a controversial position in the Hollywood thoughts.... Victor's father in this scenario depicts parental desertion and alcoholism.... Struggling with the crippling grief, Victor's father takes to alcoholism and violence as way of escapisms from the challenges facing him.... In order to escape from guilt, Victor's father then resorts to alcoholism....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Sherman Alexies Life and Works: A Reflection of Life of American Indians

Writer Customer English 23 April 2012 Sherman Alexie's Life and Works: A Reflection of Life of american indians A writer acts as a mediator between the reader and text hence, “the function of a writer is no longer that of a creator or an originator but that of human medium through whom experiences of the mass audience are recorded and then transmitted back to them” (Fairbank and Feuerwerker 485).... Similarly in the works of Sherman Alexie it is observed that he also provides the readers with an insight of the lives of american indians and their hardships through the themes incorporated in his works and the characterization of his characters....
7 Pages (1750 words) Research Paper

The Problem Of Alcoholism

Therefore, one should consider the issue as a relevant one which needs immediate attention.... An essay "The Problem Of alcoholism" claims that excessive use of alcohol causes mortality, morbidity, disability, social and family disruption and property destruction in the nation.... At this juncture, one can use Scott Russell Sanders's "Under the Influence" as a startling piece of information about the hazardous impacts of alcoholism on the society....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

The Modern American Indian

The american indians were actually the first people who took care of the land, sea, and air of the United States, which are the very things that Americans are enjoying now.... However, the ancestors of what are known today as american indians have always inhabited North America and the neighboring islands for over thirty thousand years and even possibly much longer (Dorris).... The aboriginal peoples of the american indians were 'mightily heterogeneous' in the genetic, social, linguistic, and political aspects of their lives, thus it became a reason for the vagueness of their identity as well as their segregation into many tribes, which were definitely not united and cooperative with each other (Dorris)....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay

Contemporary American Indian Issues in Historical Perspective

North american indians comprise of a number people who share unique cultures, identities, histories and languages.... Throughout the historical records, many american indians have been repeatedly exposed to self destructive and illegal behavior.... Throughout the historical records, many american indians have been repeatedly exposed to self-destructive and illegal behavior.... he american indians face a wider range of problems regarding the alcoholic abuse....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay

Healthy People: American Indians

In the essay 'Healthy People: american indians' the author describes his population and the problem for both males and females in the 25-34age range.... Alcohol takes a substantial toll among american indians.... The author states that a general observation is that alcohol abuse plays a significant role in these problems as it is a major factor in five of the 10 leading causes of mortality for american indians.... There is the common view that Leland (1976) described in her book Firewater Myths, that american indians have an excessive craving for alcohol and to lose control of their behavior when they drink....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay

Cherokee - Native American Indians

This paper presents the social, genetic, and psychological effects of the modern Cherokee indians, infants and teens.... Social influences of the modern Cherokee indians are already largely based on the whites or the American The author.... In general, the 0-18-year-old modern Cherokee indians are more or less influenced by the white culture and their traditions seem to follow mainstream ideals.... In effect, the Cherokee nation now resembles the larger US; but in some ways, they have also improved on the modern american influence....
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Paper
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us