##coholism In Sherman Alexie's The Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight In Heaven

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.

Defining exactly what shapes ethnic identity in the United States is the hardest question I can imagine being asked. As a child born in the United States, I find this question so difficult because I have been exposed to a large variety of cultures within the small boundaries of my own family. This makes it very difficult to determine one, or even a few characteristics that define ethnic identity. In the case of many of these novels, the task of defining ethnic identity is not so complicated. The list of determinants that I believe to define ethnic identity includes language, geographic location, and tradition.

The contextual cultural experiences of most Native Americans has led to the normalization of drinking especially among age groups and related events such as among peers and when preaching. Nevertheless, the stereotype of the “drunken Indian” has also had an impact on the consumption levels in this cultural group (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2011). A study of the Navajo Indians led to the conclusion that stereotype can lead members of the group to consider excessive drinking as a normal part of the cultural practices of a particular cultural group. Indeed, the Native American population has been influenced by such stereotypes which traverse the history of the Indians, for example, in as far as consumption of alcohol is concerned (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2011).

of alcoholism and its impact upon the lives of the Native Americans, Alexie does not aim to put

Popular culture has shaped our understanding and perception of Native American culture. From Disney to literature has given the picture of the “blood thirsty savage” of the beginning colonialism in the new world to the “Noble Savage,” a trait painted by non-native the West (Landsman and Lewis 184) and this has influenced many non native perceptions. What many outsiders do not see is the struggle Native American have on day to day bases. Each generation of Native American is on a struggle to keep their traditions alive, but to function in school and ultimately graduate.

Alcohol has always been one of the most profitable industries in the business world. More than $400 billion worth of alcohol purchased in the US alone in 2013 according to an economic website. Alcohol is a common figure where it can be easily spot in every household to grand restaurants, however, it is a huge factor contributed to the death rate each year. It has ruined an innumerable number of people lives due to excessive drinking or affect by an alcoholic person. In his book, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”, Sherman Alexie emphasizes how significance alcohol can affect a teenager life, where Junior, the main protagonist has lost 3 family members because of alcohol. He shows that alcoholic should not be taken as a

“Alcohol addiction stunts the spiritual, emotional and mental growth of a person”~Anonymous. Sherman Alexie’s novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, is a book based off the author’s teenage life. The novel is about a poor 14 year old named Junior who faced numerous challenges in his life. Junior has experienced bullying, he was called a traitor for following his dreams, got in a huge fight with his best friend and lost three very important people in his life because of alcohol. Fortunately in the end, Junior got through the pain and lived on but he learned many lessons. One of the lessons Junior learned was that the fall into addiction, in this situation alcohol, leads to a great deal of misery for the individual and those

     By reading the book, the author showed me was that the only thing left for the remaining Native Americans is to drink, since everything they once had has disappeared. Most part of the book is about Indians having bad experiences in life and facing the loss of their tradition.

There are also social issues that are a concern for many Native Americans. These issues can be either a result of or a cause of alcoholism. A job, or the lack of them, is one of the main concerns. Dr. Spillane confirms, “For many reservation-dwelling American Indians, access to standard life reinforces is…not

In Michael Dorris’s essay “Crazy Horse Malt Liquor”, he is trying to raise awareness of Native Americans stereotypes. The article begins by stating that Americans honor Indians in odd ways, and continues by saying Native Americans have become popular in culture. Dorris then continues by explaining how the Hornell Brewing Company use the imagery of Crazy Horse, a native leader, to sell their brand of liquor. Next Dorris speaks about the modern day social illness that the Native American population suffers. Dorris talks about how the U.S. government took the land of the Native then speaks about how people play warrior and still continue these stereotypes.

When Victor was a child his parents would drink a lot and would neglect him because they dealt with their pain by drinking. They drank because they were drinking away the problems caused by the generational trauma they and the generation before them had to endure. For example, during the New Year's party, everyone got drunk, even Victor's parents, left Victor by himself. Victor’s father and mother drank more

Alcoholism is the leading health and social problem of American Indians than any other race. Native Americans who end up leaving the reservation to pursue education or employment opportunities express a high degree of discomfort and anxiety as a result of “feeling caught in two worlds.” By leaving the reservation they are abandoning their traditions, however temporarily, and suffering a sense of personal loss and insecurity. In entering a new world, this sense of loss and insecurity is heightened and becomes exacerbated, particularly if they do not experience success or acceptance in the new environment (Major, A.K. A 2003). However, if success and acceptance in the new world occurs, these individuals will still suffer the pangs of abandonment since they can never fully return to the reservation. In some cases, forced assimilation has extinguished the culture from many Indians as their grandparents and parents were forced to abandon the old ways in order to become more American. Thomas Jefferson, as well as many others believed that Native Americans can be just as ‘White’ Americans. In an attempt to increase local employment opportunities, many tribes have turned to gambling casinos and the collateral business which support these ventures. Illegal activities would certainly increase among Indians because of the simple fact that they need to survive by any means necessary. This can all

While he may think that drinking is a way to escape being Native American, in actuality, it just perpetuates the cycle of alcoholism on the reservation.

This disease destroys families and can leave a person with long term health damage. Few people in Native communities talk about it because of the stigma attached to it. Scholder helps shed light on these issues by reflecting on them throughout his work. The “Can of Coors in the foreground is a vivid example of how Scholder painted what he observed. And that included alcoholism in Indian Country”(Brockman).

“Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence.” - Peter A. Levine, Ph.D. In Sherman Alexie’s collection of short stories, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, we read stories of Native American struggles for survival in an American society designed to keep Native Americans locked in the cycle of intergenerational trauma. Alexie illustrates the importance of rejecting intergenerational trauma as a method of survival, by isolating the two main causes intergenerational trauma becomes inescapable and giving examples that showcase the impact of attempting to survive the cycle. Through the interpretation of multiple sources, it becomes clear that the inescapability of intergenerational trauma is the outcome of internalized oppression and pessimism.