...Alcohol Control Policies in Native American Communities Devyn Vazquez Nova Southeastern University The indigenous people of North America have settled in areas across the present day United States and continue to live on and off reservations throughout America’s fifty states. Throughout Native Americans longstanding history the significant battle with alcohol has not only tarnished the culture of numerous tribes and the public perception of American Indians, but alcohol use has ruined the lives of countless people. The introduction of alcohol in Native American societies began with English explorer Henry Hudson in the early 1600’s during the exploration of what is now considered the New York City metropolitan area. The brief encounter began as an attempt to thwart any possible mischievous plans of the Mohawk chief and continues to harm the Native American people (Morris 1880). As of 2010, the United States population contains 4.1 million individuals who identify themselves as having American Indian or Alaska Native heritage. Within this population, Native Americans are six times more likely to die from alcohol related causes, have a life expectancy rate six years lower than the national average, and report heavy alcohol use almost double the other ethnicities in America (American Psychiatric Association 2010). There is never a simple solution to the complex problem of alcohol within any ethnicity and this toxic relationship is ever present in many Native American...
Words: 1632 - Pages: 7
...Native American Teen Health " Nearly one in Native American adolescents has attempted suicide, a rate four times that of other teenagers, according to a study that found alarming health problems on reservations." Suicide has a big affect on Native American teens. Providing more awareness about teen health in the Native American culture, would result in a fewer teen suicide." Native American teenagers/ Youth are planning on taking their life's or they have already took their life's for many reasons. Out of all the races Native American/ Alaskan Natives have the highest risk for teen suicide. In the article " Teen Suicide Statistics" has noted that "77.9% of all suicide are male and females has attempted suicide 3 times as often as males, fire arms are used in 51% of males suicides, also 38% of females suicides are use drugs ( poising) as the method of suicide." Statistics like these have shown many times they have tried to commit suicide. Suicide very's from Native communities to other Native communities around Native country. So many Native people are overwhelmed to be going to funerals...
Words: 1776 - Pages: 8
...European Influence on the Diegueno The biggest change to the Native American’s lives, which is the root to most of the other changes, was the exchanging of goods with the European traders and trappers. The Europeans wanted furs, leather, and other hides that could only be found in North America. And new plants not found in Europe (such as tobacco). The Diegueno would bring these goods to the trading posts. The furs were from animals such as beavers, deer, antelope and buffalo. They also brought along with them the desired crops. In exchange, the Native Americans were introduced to new goods such as wheat. flour, cloth, muskets, and rifles. The use of Firearms, particularly the musket, completely changed hunting for the Diegueno tribe. They were able to hunt more effectively and in a fraction of the time. Before gunpowder was introduced, whoever was hunting would have to craft arrows and spears out of wood and stone, along with the bow itself, and then had to use the primitive weapon to hunt. The muskets made it so the hunter would not have to prepare much to go out hunting...
Words: 634 - Pages: 3
...Health Among American Indians and Alaskan Natives Shelley Thornton Grand Canyon University Family Centered Health Promotion NRS-429V Minerva Gonzales December 06, 2015 Health Among American Indians and Alaskan Natives When compared to the National average inequality and the persistent challenges that American Indians and Alaska Natives face are troubling. Demographics and economy along with poor health standards, drug and alcohol use and disproportionate disease burden exist due to inadequate education, high rates of unemployment, discrimination in the delivery of health care and cultural differences. In this paper we will explore Native Americans current health status and the barriers that influence health in their culture, socioeconomic and sociopolitical groups along with how race, ethnicity and education influence health and address current health status in addition to how they define health promotion and what health disparities exist. American Indians and Alaska Natives are people that have origins in the North, South and Central America that maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment. “There are 562 federally recognized tribes in the US, including 223 village groups in Alaska; about 100 other tribes are recognized by individual states. There are also tribes that have existed since this country was formed but do not have federal or state recognition” ("American Indians," p. 2). Per records from “2012 there were estimated 5.2 million people” ("Profile...
Words: 1506 - Pages: 7
...criteria for substance use disorder and thereafter gives an explanation to the negative impacts of alcohol on Native American nations. Finally, the paper will show detailed information on how specific cultural knowledge was used to market cigarettes. Four specific contributions that anthropology, especially ethnography, has offered in the study of addiction and recovery. Ethnography is the study of people, culture and how the environmental and cultural factors affect values and behaviors of a person or groups of people in a social setup. A study of ethnography conducted outside United States of America reveals that the number of drug ethnographies has grown steadily since 1960s because many social issues are associated with drug use. Ethnography illustrates that drug use is not one phenomenon, but many since specific drug is used in specific situations. According to Glasser (2012), Ethnography clarifies the different implications of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in the life of an individual. According to Glasser, Ethnography also explains the psychological and physiological implications of the use of such drugs. Ethnography further indicates that drugs are used within a subculture. Individuals whose lives have become oriented with a drug often associate with others who use the drug in a similar way. Ethnography further explains that people use drugs as part of lifestyle and identity in different subcultures such as profession. Finally, drug use and addiction occurs when...
Words: 919 - Pages: 4
...Pg.2 NATIVE AMERICANS and DRUG ABUSE The first evidence showing indigenous people to inhabit North America indicated that they migrated there from Siberia over 11,000 years ago. Native Americans were a very populous group of people, today they only account for 1.4 percent of the United States population. The healing traditions of Native Americans go back for thousands of years as the many indigenous tribes learned that by mixing herbs, roots ,and often natural plants that they could heal various medical problems, although healing practices varied widely from tribe to tribe including various rituals. Native American Indians struggle disproportionately...
Words: 567 - Pages: 3
...Demographic Correlates Of Drug Use CHAPTER OVERVIEW_____________________________________ • Certain segments of the population are more vulnerable to drug use and abuse than others. • Men are generally more likely to use drugs than women. • Whites are more likely to report drug use than either Hispanics or blacks. • Cultural, economic and historical features contribute to unique experiences and problems associated with drug use • Drug use varies in prevalence and type across different age groups • The extent and nature of drug-using behavior varies by social categories • There are social as well as individual factors that account for patterns of drug use. LEARNING OBJECTIVES__________________________________ 1. Discuss the major differences between the onset and socialization of drug use between males and females. 2. What are some of the special problems encountered by drug-using women, especially health- related problems and those with regard to stigmatization? 3. Discuss the major differences in drug use among races and ethnicities. 4. Which age cohort is most likely to use drugs and why? 5. How are drug use and effects unique in the elderly? 6. Describe the social class correlates of drug use. CHAPTER OUTLINE______________________________________ I. Introduction ...
Words: 2626 - Pages: 11
...The Absolutely True Diary of Part-Time Indian: a Journey of Hope “There is another world, but it is in this one” (W.B Yeats), this is how Sherman Alexie managed to begin the journey of his eye-opening novel, The Absolutely True Dairy of Part-time Indian. It is a magnificent story of overcoming the obstacles of being an Indian teenager while stepping outside of the reservation world and striving for better opportunities in the world. Junior, who carries the Native American blood in his roots, gives an insight into Native American culture, encompassing all of its sacred and astonishing details. Through Junior’s experience and between the storylines, various aspects of the Spokane Indians community are revealed, such as poverty, alcoholism, and kinship that make the novel stand as an unique Indian literature piece....
Words: 1324 - Pages: 6
...Meaning of alcohol in five different societies: Native Americans, Maori, Chinese, French and Russian This essay was conducted in order to look over whether the meaning of ‘alcohol’ differs across various cultures. The essay will compare how tribal people conceptualise the definition of this substance and how it is explained by contemporary societies in developing and developed countries, and also in the post-Soviet country. Contemporary or postmodern period is known as the latter 20th and the 21st century (Johnson, 2001). This paper will provide examples of indigenous societies from North America and New Zealand, and also societies from China, France and Russia. The essay will briefly review the way their attitude to alcohol changed since earlier times. It seems that in practice relation with alcohol is usually understood by drinking alcoholic liquids. The behavioural consequences of drinking depend as much as on a people’s idea of alcohol does to a person as on the physiological processes that can result from alcohol abuse. It would be advisable to say that alcohol as a ‘drink’ played an important role in almost all societies’ cultures since Neolithic times. Alcohol helped to drive the globalisation of trade since 17th century (Hames, 2012). The role of this substance was usually described in relation to religious experiences or by enhancing the enjoyment of life. Historically, alcoholic beverages also were widely used as sources of antiseptic nutrients in medicine. In modern...
Words: 3356 - Pages: 14
...rule over the Native Americans because they are superior. He claims that Spanish Catholics are like adults compared to the religions of the American Indians. Sepulveda argues that they have the right to rule over them because they are savages without any humanity or self control, unlike the religious, merciful, and civilized. The Spanish saw it as their duty and right to rule over the primitive Indians. 1b.As a result of believing their religious superiority, the Spanish implemented the encomienda system. The encomienda system was a design for creating large plantations that would be worked by American Indian slaves. The slaves were provided to citizens who...
Words: 890 - Pages: 4
...fetal alcohol syndrome ( FAS) , alcohol-related birth defects ( ARBD) , and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders (ARND) . The three main types of research methods used in these studies are passive surveillance, clinic-based studies, and active case ascertainment. This article describes each of these methods, including their strengths and weaknesses, and summarizes the estimated prevalence of FAS produced by each of these approaches. The maternal risk factors associated with FAS and other alcohol-related anomalies include advanced maternal age, low socioeconomic status, frequent binge drinking, family and friends with drinking problems, and poor social and psychological indicators. Overall, the available literature points to a prevalence rate of FAS of 0.5 to 2 cases per 1,000 births in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s. KEY WORDS: fetal alcohol syndrome; prevalence; epidemiological indicators; alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder; birth defects; statistical estimation; data collection; clinical aspects; population dynamics; risk factors; research in practice; research quality Establishing the prevalence 1 (1 See the sidebar on page 160 for the definition of prevalence as it is used in this article.) and other epidemiological characteristics of fetal alcohol syndrome ( FAS) , alcohol-related birth defects ( ARBD) , and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder ( ARND) 2 (2 FAS is a set of birth defects caused by maternal consumption of alcohol during...
Words: 7781 - Pages: 32
...Women who are pregnant or are having sexual intercourse without the proper protection are advised not to drink alcohol. Drinking while pregnant can cause many problems to the fetus, involving the heart, the face, the brain and organs; even worse, drinking while pregnant increases the risks of having a miscarriage or delivering a premature child. While pregnant the fetus is very vulnerable to many toxins, such as alcohol, and drugs, so when the mother drinks alcohol, so does the fetus, since blood carries alcohol in the fetus bloodstream. At five weeks the fetus begins to form the brain, which then starts to grow rapidly, this is a crucial time for mothers to nourish their bodies with many proteins and keep away from dangerous toxins. One of the most probable results of drinking while pregnant is the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). The Fetal Alcohol Syndrome has been linked to low I.Q. in children. Over the years there has been many studies to determine if a child’s I.Q. if affected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Jones and Smith first introduced Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in the United States in 1973, Jones and Smith described FAS as a “distinctive set of facial anomalies in children whose mothers drank heavily during pregnancy, accompanied by prenatal and/or postnatal growth retardation and cognitive/behavioral problems” (Burden). Children who suffer from FAS commonly have face abnormalities, which may or may not include: flat mid-face, short nose, low nasal bridge, thin lips, short...
Words: 1628 - Pages: 7
...Agent: drug * Vector: dealers * Host: addict PSYCHODYNAMIC MODEL This involves the following * Drug abusers who are self-medicating * Drug abuse which is a symptom of underlying psychological problems * Drug use is also a maladaptive psychological coping strategy * Drug abusers also need to resolve internal conflict, and when they do, drug use will be unnecessary. SOCIAL MODEL This involves * Drug use as a learned behavior * People using drugs because drug use is modeled by others * Peer pressure * Environmental effects leading to drug use MORAL MODEL * Addicts are usually weak and can overcome a compulsion to use with willpower * Drug abusers are anti-social and should be punished for that * Drug are generally evil BIO-PSYCHO-SOCIAL MODEL * All the above are true, to greater or lesser degrees * Each person’s drug use is a result of some aspects of some or all the other models * Treatment and recovery require addressing the body, mind, social, nutrition, employment, family issues, psychological issues. On a broad inference, addiction is generally concerned with alcoholism so therefore we shall talk extensively on alcoholism. ALCOHOLISM Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled...
Words: 3596 - Pages: 15
...Alcoholism Emma Lattany NU250 Mental Health Instructor: Lori Barnes RN, BSN, LNC Alcoholism, is a destructive pattern of alcohol use that includes tolerance to or withdrawal from the substance (Dryden-Edwards, 2012). It is also known as alcohol dependence or alcohol addiction. Using alcohol longer than planned or having difficulty reducing its usage is a part of alcoholism. Alcoholism is not a chosen pattern of behavior but it is considered to be a disease. Those with alcoholism show signs of physical addiction to alcohol, but still continue drinking despite problems with physical and mental health. It also causes them problems with their social and family life as well as job responsibilities. Alcoholism may also take control over and alcoholic’s life and relationships. Some of the medical complications of alcoholism are: pancreatitis, cardiomyopathy, alcohol-related cirrhosis, and gastrointestinal bleeding. The use of alcohol on a daily basis has also been associated with many different types of cancers (Thompson, 2012). Alcohol use during pregnancy could lead to fetal alcohol syndrome which is a leading cause of mental retardation. Alcoholism is also linked to dementia, depression, suicide, accidents and homicide (Thompson, 2012). Alcoholism is the third most common mental illness and in the United States, more that 14 million people are affected by it (Dryden-Edwards, 2012). Alcoholism has a pattern of afflicting about 10% of men and 4% of women and costs...
Words: 1344 - Pages: 6
...drinking alcohol could seem to be a part of a fun night. Some individuals may struggle with the addiction of alcohol. Alcoholism can affect relationships, one’s career, and other things that can make one’s life fulfilling. One that is addicted to alcohol may be afraid to get help because of the stigma that has been associated to the admitting that he or she is addicted to alcohol. In order for one to learn about alcohol, one should learn about the history of addiction, the DSM-5 criteria for the diagnosis of an alcoholism, and how the addiction affects all aspects of one’s life. Impact of History upon Addiction Theory and Treatment Alcohol has been a part of history for a long period of time. From...
Words: 1337 - Pages: 6
