Native American issues
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: WASHINGTON
Posts: 30
Native American issues
I have been amazed at the need for recovery on the reservations and the resistence to any consistent programs of recovery, outside of court ordered treatment centers.
I am a Native American, a member of the First Nations People to my Canadian Brothers. It was in a movie called "for the honor of all", that I seen AA at work in Indian Country, with the Alkali Lake Band in BC. Sadly 30 Years later there is still a great problem with alcoholism and AA in most of the United States Tribes.
12 steps do not work for Indians, this was a statement made by a local Tribal Councilman, with three sons and a daughter all using drugs and alcohol heavily. 12 Steps works for me. and two other Native Americans that I go to meetings with.
I am gratefull for AA and thankfull for my homegroup, my sponser and the 12 Steps. It must just be a matter of individual decision making.
Is this a common problem, are there any suggestions? jackf
I am a Native American, a member of the First Nations People to my Canadian Brothers. It was in a movie called "for the honor of all", that I seen AA at work in Indian Country, with the Alkali Lake Band in BC. Sadly 30 Years later there is still a great problem with alcoholism and AA in most of the United States Tribes.
12 steps do not work for Indians, this was a statement made by a local Tribal Councilman, with three sons and a daughter all using drugs and alcohol heavily. 12 Steps works for me. and two other Native Americans that I go to meetings with.
I am gratefull for AA and thankfull for my homegroup, my sponser and the 12 Steps. It must just be a matter of individual decision making.
Is this a common problem, are there any suggestions? jackf
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: In Today
Posts: 6,101
"12 steps do not work for Indians..."
Hi Jack.
I have to disagree with that as I know many that it has worked for. I myself am 1/4 Lakota with many many ODAATS now, and I can honestly say I had a lot of trouble finding a HP until I started delving ino my Native American roots. It then became clear to me. I have had many talks with "Elders" of different tribes, and many "Lessons" also.
The "Elders" are WISE. I believe part of the problem is not that the 12 steps do not work for Native Americans, but the 12 steps do not work for ANY alkie who is not willing to follow directions, ie 'be told what to do.'
You ask if this is a common problem and I believe it is......among all practicing alkies. Each one has to reach their own individual bottom before any attempt at recovery might have success.
You yourself know that recovery is not "a walk in the park", that is is probably the HARDEST thing that any of us will attempt, and many have lapses before finally finding recovery, and sadly many, not just Native Americans, never find recovery.
JMHO garnered from my own E S & H
Love and (((((to all))))),
Hi Jack.
I have to disagree with that as I know many that it has worked for. I myself am 1/4 Lakota with many many ODAATS now, and I can honestly say I had a lot of trouble finding a HP until I started delving ino my Native American roots. It then became clear to me. I have had many talks with "Elders" of different tribes, and many "Lessons" also.
The "Elders" are WISE. I believe part of the problem is not that the 12 steps do not work for Native Americans, but the 12 steps do not work for ANY alkie who is not willing to follow directions, ie 'be told what to do.'
You ask if this is a common problem and I believe it is......among all practicing alkies. Each one has to reach their own individual bottom before any attempt at recovery might have success.
You yourself know that recovery is not "a walk in the park", that is is probably the HARDEST thing that any of us will attempt, and many have lapses before finally finding recovery, and sadly many, not just Native Americans, never find recovery.
JMHO garnered from my own E S & H
Love and (((((to all))))),
Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Pugetopolis
Posts: 2,384
Jack,
Hello, my name is Jim. I'm a quarter Indian on my mom's side and they've been dying of alcoholism for generations.
I wanted to tell you about a non-profit organization called The White Bison Council, based in Colorado Springs, CO. It is headed by a man named Don Coyhis, a Cree Indian, I believe. Don has been sober a long time. He was sponsored in Denver by a white man. Quite a few years ago, Don wanted to take what he had found in AA back to his people. So he took the twelve steps to the elders and asked them what they thought. Their answer was that it looked like a good way to live, Indian or not. So Don took the steps and arranged them in a circular fashion, in the four directions and adapted them to the ways of the red road. He and another man formed White Bison and began to take it to the reservations. They've had some success. You may want to check it out. I can't remember the url, but just Google White Bison Council.
Regards,
Jim
Hello, my name is Jim. I'm a quarter Indian on my mom's side and they've been dying of alcoholism for generations.
I wanted to tell you about a non-profit organization called The White Bison Council, based in Colorado Springs, CO. It is headed by a man named Don Coyhis, a Cree Indian, I believe. Don has been sober a long time. He was sponsored in Denver by a white man. Quite a few years ago, Don wanted to take what he had found in AA back to his people. So he took the twelve steps to the elders and asked them what they thought. Their answer was that it looked like a good way to live, Indian or not. So Don took the steps and arranged them in a circular fashion, in the four directions and adapted them to the ways of the red road. He and another man formed White Bison and began to take it to the reservations. They've had some success. You may want to check it out. I can't remember the url, but just Google White Bison Council.
Regards,
Jim
Knucklehead
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Davenport, WA
Posts: 4,005
Hi Jack,
Welcome to SR. I'm guessing you're just a bit north of me. I don't see what ethnicity has to do with getting sober. We're all human. There are other programs that people who don't relate to AA/NA find helpful, but that's only if they want to get sober. You can lead a horse to water......
Doorknob
Welcome to SR. I'm guessing you're just a bit north of me. I don't see what ethnicity has to do with getting sober. We're all human. There are other programs that people who don't relate to AA/NA find helpful, but that's only if they want to get sober. You can lead a horse to water......
Doorknob
Don't get undies in a bunch
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: South Shore MA
Posts: 7,120
I could write out 10 pages of justifiable excuses of why things are like they are(from the perspective that a native would see it)
I can write out another 10 pages of unjustifiable reasons that discredit what the governments have done or not done.
Fact or fiction? Alcohol has a deeper impact and addictive nature on natives then any other group of people?
No matter who, what, when, where, or how of any situation, for any individual or group...it still comes down to a choice and commitment of the individual to seek solutions or continue with the addiction.
Personally, I feel that more education and services (already granted) need to be taken from the politicians and placed in service in a direct manner. I also think that as a group (collectively) the natives should return to the old ways and reject the sinful ways that have been learned from the settlers. You reap what you sow.
A long hard road but if ever a group with the strength and courage that could do it, it would be them.
An Elder or Chief with the correct vision that could lead would be a solution.
I can write out another 10 pages of unjustifiable reasons that discredit what the governments have done or not done.
Fact or fiction? Alcohol has a deeper impact and addictive nature on natives then any other group of people?
No matter who, what, when, where, or how of any situation, for any individual or group...it still comes down to a choice and commitment of the individual to seek solutions or continue with the addiction.
Personally, I feel that more education and services (already granted) need to be taken from the politicians and placed in service in a direct manner. I also think that as a group (collectively) the natives should return to the old ways and reject the sinful ways that have been learned from the settlers. You reap what you sow.
A long hard road but if ever a group with the strength and courage that could do it, it would be them.
An Elder or Chief with the correct vision that could lead would be a solution.
Don't get undies in a bunch
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: South Shore MA
Posts: 7,120
Originally Posted by best
An Elder or Chief with the correct vision that could lead would be a solution.
Originally Posted by jimhere
Jack,
Hello, my name is Jim. I'm a quarter Indian on my mom's side and they've been dying of alcoholism for generations.
I wanted to tell you about a non-profit organization called The White Bison Council, based in Colorado Springs, CO. It is headed by a man named Don Coyhis, a Cree Indian, I believe. Don has been sober a long time. He was sponsored in Denver by a white man. Quite a few years ago, Don wanted to take what he had found in AA back to his people. So he took the twelve steps to the elders and asked them what they thought. Their answer was that it looked like a good way to live, Indian or not. So Don took the steps and arranged them in a circular fashion, in the four directions and adapted them to the ways of the red road. He and another man formed White Bison and began to take it to the reservations. They've had some success. You may want to check it out. I can't remember the url, but just Google White Bison Council.
Regards,
Jim
Hello, my name is Jim. I'm a quarter Indian on my mom's side and they've been dying of alcoholism for generations.
I wanted to tell you about a non-profit organization called The White Bison Council, based in Colorado Springs, CO. It is headed by a man named Don Coyhis, a Cree Indian, I believe. Don has been sober a long time. He was sponsored in Denver by a white man. Quite a few years ago, Don wanted to take what he had found in AA back to his people. So he took the twelve steps to the elders and asked them what they thought. Their answer was that it looked like a good way to live, Indian or not. So Don took the steps and arranged them in a circular fashion, in the four directions and adapted them to the ways of the red road. He and another man formed White Bison and began to take it to the reservations. They've had some success. You may want to check it out. I can't remember the url, but just Google White Bison Council.
Regards,
Jim
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I owe my recovery to some wonderful natives in the B.C. area. I used to live in Victoria and alot of the natives used to come down from further north to attend meetings. At first, there were those who had a tough time--used to share in meetings how they hated white men and such because of their experience. I could relate in part because as a girl I moved from England to a small town in Canada where there was a lot of hatred shown towards those of us who "usurped their jobs' and such. Being laughed at as a child because you speak with an accent, where funny clothes and such--well, you don't exactly 'fit in' and that is painful.
At the meetings, I would listen to some of the women speak of how they were treated in therapy and at that time I couldn't understand things. Prejudice certainly seemed to be a large factor because the counselling sessions they would speak about--well, they just wouldn't happen to one such as I. Back here in Ontario, I'm not so sure if it was simply due to hereditary or because of a lack of education though because I've seen the same kind of treatment to different friends I have who are not Native but who don't have the same education that I have.
Personally, I am appalled at the treatment that social workers and therapists seem to give certain individuals and I will never truly understand why.
I do know for a fact that A.A. in Victoria worked for several Natives--because those were some of the people I used to listen too. They were the ones who helped me come to terms with a concept of a Higher Power that wasn't the white, Christian God--something that I badly needed at the time. But, at the same time, I think that there needs to be further help there because in many of the cases that I saw the disease of alcoholism or the actual using was often a secondary symptom--meaning that when some of these women sobered up, they came face to face with childhood sexual abuse memories or the shame felt from multiple rapes and such as they were teenagers. And, when dealing with this type of extreme pain, the most natural thing in the world to do for anybody, is to grab ahold of anything that helps to null the pain. Counselling often didn't work because of the attitudes shown from the white counsellors that were there. What did work was the encouragement and sharing from other women, like myself, who had gone through similar experiences as children.
Some of the meetings I went to in Victoria, the group majority was Native and as you know, much of a meetings content and such is agreed apon by the group itself. Therefore, it wasn't unheard of to hear about 'the Creator' in the place of God although the basic steps and such were the same. I will always remember an elder there who I used to love hearing speak because he had such fire and always spoke with such honesty and wisdom. Natives can get sober with the help of A.A. always remembering that A.A. is basically just a bunch of drunks getting together to help each other. What doesn't help or didn't help was the negative input and such from biased social workers and counsellors who may have had a degree but hadn't an iota of the respect of pain that some of these people deserved for what they were coping with. I always felt that it would have been a good idea for some of these people to share individually the names of the counsellors and such to stay away with--as will as the ones they woudl recommend to their friends if they found any that were actually helpful.
At the meetings, I would listen to some of the women speak of how they were treated in therapy and at that time I couldn't understand things. Prejudice certainly seemed to be a large factor because the counselling sessions they would speak about--well, they just wouldn't happen to one such as I. Back here in Ontario, I'm not so sure if it was simply due to hereditary or because of a lack of education though because I've seen the same kind of treatment to different friends I have who are not Native but who don't have the same education that I have.
Personally, I am appalled at the treatment that social workers and therapists seem to give certain individuals and I will never truly understand why.
I do know for a fact that A.A. in Victoria worked for several Natives--because those were some of the people I used to listen too. They were the ones who helped me come to terms with a concept of a Higher Power that wasn't the white, Christian God--something that I badly needed at the time. But, at the same time, I think that there needs to be further help there because in many of the cases that I saw the disease of alcoholism or the actual using was often a secondary symptom--meaning that when some of these women sobered up, they came face to face with childhood sexual abuse memories or the shame felt from multiple rapes and such as they were teenagers. And, when dealing with this type of extreme pain, the most natural thing in the world to do for anybody, is to grab ahold of anything that helps to null the pain. Counselling often didn't work because of the attitudes shown from the white counsellors that were there. What did work was the encouragement and sharing from other women, like myself, who had gone through similar experiences as children.
Some of the meetings I went to in Victoria, the group majority was Native and as you know, much of a meetings content and such is agreed apon by the group itself. Therefore, it wasn't unheard of to hear about 'the Creator' in the place of God although the basic steps and such were the same. I will always remember an elder there who I used to love hearing speak because he had such fire and always spoke with such honesty and wisdom. Natives can get sober with the help of A.A. always remembering that A.A. is basically just a bunch of drunks getting together to help each other. What doesn't help or didn't help was the negative input and such from biased social workers and counsellors who may have had a degree but hadn't an iota of the respect of pain that some of these people deserved for what they were coping with. I always felt that it would have been a good idea for some of these people to share individually the names of the counsellors and such to stay away with--as will as the ones they woudl recommend to their friends if they found any that were actually helpful.
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