If there is one thing that caught my attention after reading and getting to know a bit more about the book "The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian" is that it has something very specific in common with the movie "Thunderheart", alcoholism is an issue at Native Americans reservations.
"Native Americans were first introduced to alcohol by the European settlers and traders. Alcohol was often traded for Native American goods, and possibly used to relax the Native Americans in order to receive a better trade. The newness of the substance had a great influence on the Native American culture. But over the years, research has shown that alcohol’s effects on this culture are also due to genetics.
From a genetic standpoint, certain ethnic groups have a gene mutation that causes adverse reactions to drinking large amounts of alcohol. Groups that possess this “protective gene” include Chinese and Japanese populations, causing them to feel rapid heartbeat, headache, nausea and extreme drowsiness. Other groups, including Native Americans, do not possess this gene mutation, consequently reducing the side effects of heavy drinking." (Bethany Winkel. Source).
Isn't the fact that almost half of the Native American population has suffered from alcoholism very alarming? Before this course, little did I know about this problem. And to think that it probably is an endless circle. Native Americans live secluded (in reservations) from the rest of the population of the USA. They sure have identity crisis, a lot live in poverty, not to mention the lack of opportunities of having a better life (compared to white Americans). Alcohol seems an easy way of forgetting about heavy thoughts and problems, right?
There are lots of theories about the causes of alcoholism amongst Natives, but one thing is for sure, the consequences can't be any good.
So tell me your thoughts on this. What do you think is the main reason alcohol became such a huge addiction for Native Americans? Any ideas on what could it be done to help?
"Native Americans were first introduced to alcohol by the European settlers and traders. Alcohol was often traded for Native American goods, and possibly used to relax the Native Americans in order to receive a better trade. The newness of the substance had a great influence on the Native American culture. But over the years, research has shown that alcohol’s effects on this culture are also due to genetics.
From a genetic standpoint, certain ethnic groups have a gene mutation that causes adverse reactions to drinking large amounts of alcohol. Groups that possess this “protective gene” include Chinese and Japanese populations, causing them to feel rapid heartbeat, headache, nausea and extreme drowsiness. Other groups, including Native Americans, do not possess this gene mutation, consequently reducing the side effects of heavy drinking." (Bethany Winkel. Source).
There are lots of theories about the causes of alcoholism amongst Natives, but one thing is for sure, the consequences can't be any good.
So tell me your thoughts on this. What do you think is the main reason alcohol became such a huge addiction for Native Americans? Any ideas on what could it be done to help?
Your post is very interesting, especially because in this times the alcoholism is one of the most common problems that affects a lot of people in the world.
ReplyDeleteI think that the problem of the alcoholism in the Native Americans is very several. The membrane of the cells of our body is very permeable to alcohol which passes by simple diffusion.
Moreover, the alcohol acts as an inhibitor in the brain, which causes mobility problems at the moment and affects our long-term health.
Here I leave a link to understand the diffusion of the alcohol at the cellular levelnhttps ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yMPpDeNwqQ