Alcoholism : Native American Youth

This threat to the native family is detrimental to the children who lack the emotional attachment, therefore creating immature adults who are deprived of a sense of direction or values. Apart from emotional dislocation, the rate of physical and sexual abuse among aboriginal Canadians is also high. There have been various stories of addiction that have been stemmed from abuse and neglect among Natives. Researchers claim that the loss of attachment of young people may lead to increase in addictive tendencies. First Nations people are believed to be largest substance-abusing groups in Canada, where there is formal discussion regarding addiction there are references to the high addiction rates in Aboriginal communities. The major difference between the addiction problem for Native Canadian and others is the element of social isolation and systemic discrimination. This has created a divide among Native communities and a decrease in the spirituality that was originally a central source of power in Aboriginal communities. Addiction has been a symptom to many other issues in First Nations communities, most of which come back to segregation and alienation. Today many first nation communities are fighting for basic needs such as clean water, this is evidence of the discrimination and injustices against first nations people that remain an issue. The first step to addressing these concerns is by ending the cycle of abuse

Alcoholism is an issue in many peoples lives. But for Native Americans it has become a very common issues effecting many people. Native Americans also affect more than health, issues like stereotyping and control come into play. Two authors decided to include the effects of alcohol in their works. By showing the affects of alcohol in Native Americans, people will be able to see the difficulties of the disease and try to overcome some of the problems.

However, in order to understand the culture of the Native Americans, it is important to study each group distinctly from the other. While the history of the Native Americans is beyond the scope of this paper, it suffices to note that the enduring cultural practices of the Native Americans have had an impact on the abuse of substances such as Alcohol (Moore Gay, 2010). The prevalence of alcohol among this cultural group has been influenced in two ways: by a misperception, social rules, norms and customs, and traditions that have normalized drinking among certain tribes.

The continuous trauma that they endured has negatively affected the mental health and physical health of the population. Native Americans are at higher risk for depression, physical/sexual abuse, domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health issues (McLeigh, 2010). Native American youth are three times more likely to commit suicide than the average population. Native Americans in general are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression and five times more likely to have alcoholism. Colonization not damaged natives mentally, but also brought harm to their physical health as Europeans brought diseases (measles, chicken pox, smallpox, etc) to America (McLeigh, 2010). In order for this population to be served to treat their many medical and mental health issues brought on by years of trauma, policies must be implemented to help Native Americans specifically. However, the reality is that natives mental health needs are often ignored (Gone, 2004). There have been policies that have attempted to meet the needs, but much more is needed. In the most recent action towards improving mental health services for natives, the Affordable Care Act of 2010 permanently gave authorization to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (Ross, Garfield, Brown, & Raghavan, 2015). This policy will be discussed and analyzed to examine further needs for services in this

Nichea Spillane argues that “Alcohol use among American Indians is perhaps the largest health concern in many American Indian communities” (8). Even with free medical clinics, known as Indian Health Services, many Native Americans who live in cities or have left their tribal lands find it difficult to receive the medical care that is needed. This could explain why, “Uninsured American Indians or Alaska Native Adults were more likely than uninsured adults in the general population to have binged on alcohol in the past month” (SAMHSA 6). Study after study show the disturbing effects of alcohol on the American Indians’ health. From minor health problems to alcohol-attributable deaths, to mental health and suicides, there is no way to document all the damage caused by excessive drinking. It is documented that “…excessive alcohol consumption is a leading cause of preventable death and years of lost life in this population. During 2001-2005, AmericanIndian/ AlaskaNatives were more than twice as likely to die from alcohol-related causes, compared with the U.S. general population (Naimi et al. 940).

The term alcoholism is a substance that is obtains through the mouth into the stomach, giving the individual a sudden feel of the alcohol. It’s an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic liquor or to the metal illness and compulsive behavior resulting from alcohol dependency. Within the Navajo nation reservation, I’d say, alcoholism is a very huge concern in the reservation. Alcohol is obtain and use by Navajo men and women to teenagers of boys and girls. It may be sold a remote area that is call bootleggers. It’s a very complicated drug to make our past and future generation understand it is not a good source. Prevention conferences do their best to talk to the community. Many with the single homes of other families have experience

Mexican-American has the highest use of alcohol use than other Hispanics of Latin decent. About 18 percent of Hispanic men and 6 percent of Hispanic women experienced at least one alcohol-related problem (Caetano, 1989), and Hispanic men encounter alcohol-related problems than African American and white men. The use of alcohol amongst Native Americans is greatly diverse. Not all tribes but some abstain from alcohol entirely. Native Americans were introduced to alcohol during the 19th century. Not being familiar with the substance the consumption of alcohol became a problem. Laws were made to prevent Native Americans from drinking but that law was repealed in 1953. Rates of heavy drinking are the highest amongst Native Americans, including Alaska Native (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2002), tribal groups differ. For example, the Pueblo tribe of southwestern U.S completely abstain from drinking, where as 42 percent of Ojibwa adults are heavy drinkers (Longclaws, Barnes, grieve, and Dumoff, 1980). Other groups drink

Substance abuse is a topic most prefer not to discuss; it destroys lives, relationships and families all over the world. Native Americans seem to have suffered immensely by it. Since the coming of the Englishmen and the introduction of new knowledge and tools Native people have been trying to hold on to their own culture and their own way of life. Unfortunately with them came new items for consumption, alcohol was one of the main ingredients to the internal downfall of Native populations. Native American populations suffer greatly due to the ongoing epidemic of substance abuse and dependence; some things are being done about the problems people are having but in the end will it be enough to heal a nation? To open this paper I will look at

Marginalization refers to the exclusion of others (Neufeldt et. al., 1998, p. 479). In this context, marginalization refers to the detachment of Native Americans from mainstream America. To not abide by the rules of “the white man” has forced most Native Americans to permanently reside on reservations, or land where those who have tribal affiliation are able to practice tribal traditions (Perry, 2002, p 233). Living on reservations is very oppressive and not as favorable as it may sound. This is because reservations are not as rich in resources as other area of the U.S. Consequently, Native Americans do not have as many pathways to success as groups that reside in more suburban areas in the world. This lack of opportunities has contributed to the powerlessness of many Native Americans.

I agree that the etiology is a combination of biological, psychological, social and cultural factors.

Imagine living in a world where you were kicked out of your home for your background and culture. Imagine living in a small secluded area with your people with poor housing, weak education, and poor health and wellness. This was the reality for American Indians years and years ago. In the 1960s and earlier there was a massive conflict in America known as the Civil Rights Movement, but one group that was discriminated against that is often overlooked is the Native Americans. They faced discrimination, unemployment, poor education and poor housing along with the social unacceptance.

I appreciate Alexie’s bringing attention to the problem of alcoholism among Native Americans. As a wise man once said, we are only as sick as our secrets. The reality is that Native Americans are more likely to have an alcohol addiction than the U.S. national average. This high number may be due to genetic differences, higher poverty levels, or cultural differences. But, whatever the cause may be, we will not change these numbers unless we are willing to openly discuss the issue. As long as alcoholism is considered a problem of moral character and not a disease, we will be ineffective in treating the problem.

The Native American culture brings many people to alcoholism. Many struggle with alcohol abuse because of people refusing help and people close to them dying. In “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” written by Sherman Alexie, Junior finds that the people around him are being affected quickly and are running out of time. It is a vicious cycle that they can not get out of. “About 8.3 percent of Native Americans and 7.5 percent of whites,” drink heavily on a regular basis.

For this assignment I chose counseling American Indians and Alaska Natives because it is the one group I have not studied or been around much. There is a huge population of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Washington where I currently live. I stay approximately 30 minutes from an Indian reservation. A few of the kids that attend the school I work at are Native American or an Alaska Native. I realized that when I first started working at the school that I knew nothing of their culture or values even though my great grandmother was a Native American. I have taken this opportunity to learn more about them as well as how to counsel those students. Once I finish school, I would love to work as a school counselor in one of the schools and I may even get a chance to work at the school on the reservation, so this assignment came at a good time. American Indians just like all ethnic groups have a family structure, cultural and spiritual values, strengths, and challenges. In this paper I will start off with the history of Native Americans. It is their past that shaped them for the future. As a counselor it is important to know their past to understand their present. I will also discuss their cultural strengths, theoretical approach, culturally appropriate intervention strategies and how I would incorporate cultural strengths

For decades, run down educational facilities have plagued American Indian reservations, and it is affecting the youth of the United States. The issue of failing education within Native American reservations has overwhelmed this Nation for decades. The sociological problem of dilapidated schools within reservations has been talked about for years and the media is split on the importance of the issue at hand.