Native Americans and Alcoholism

Discrimination is enabling the ruin of Native Americans as a whole. "We all, Native and non-Native, are susceptible to using categories to think and talk about groups of people like Native Americans. In the process we lock our thoughts about people and alcohol into place." [Quintero69] Facilitating negative stereotypes about Indian cultural patterns is degrading and destructive. Yet, the prejudice continues and the inequality is supported.
With time and with assistance, perhaps the Indian population can begin recovering. "Solutions must be comprehensive and include the cooperation of various disciplines such as law, education, and medicine." [Lujan3318] Their integration, both physically, emotionally and socially, into the "mainstream" United States population off of the reservation is imperative. If they remain socially and geographically isolated, the negative conditioning patterns that have been instilled in them by settlers will only worsen; so will their drinking. Alcoholism is a disease with massive potential for destructive force; the Native American is now, and has been, the victim. It is a time for change. Eradicating most of the alcohol problem in the Native American community is the beginning of the solution.
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