Alcohol in Ojibwe Poetry

Generally, in surveying Ojibwe poetry, alcohol carries a negative charge, insofar as it carries a charge at all. It is treated as a source of sadness and loss of control, particularly as used in the poetry of Jim Northrup and Cheryl K. Minnema, who we will examine in this essay. Notably, and perhaps symbolically, alcoholism is a woe whose rise has coincided with the decline of traditional indigenous life.

To cite but one example, Jim Northrup mentions alcohol in a strikingly negative light in his celebrated poem, "Shrinking Away." To use his words:

Survived the war but was having
Trouble surviving the peace,
Couldn't sleep more than two hours
Was scared to be without a gun
Nightmares, daymares, guilt and remorse
Wanted to stay drunk all the time

This portrait is an undeniably bleak one. Note that Northrup specifically mentions "staying drunk" in the context of his trouble adjusting to civilian life, thus indicating that drunkenness is part of the problem. It is also heavily implied that the narrator is drinking to shut out his experience with the war; he is, at bottom, self-medicating for a deep and gripping depression. The narrator is struggling, giving the impression of powerlessness, which he only sheds at the very end of the poem. In this context, his alcohol abuse is not merely unhealthy, but indicative of a spiritual low-point.

Cheryl Minnema takes this dynamic even further, as her poem "Bottle Rage" illustrates. As the title suggests, the poem kicks off with a description of an angry drunk:

Wrestled steps stagger with the tall
Weeds beside our house.
Another swig of vodka bleeds words
About his girlfriend a half mile down the road
Her bruised cheeks pressed against their three children.

Again - not a pretty picture. The presence of weeds already puts the reader in a particular state of mind, calling out images of healthy plants being choked by parasites. The "swig of vodka bleeds words," i.e. the man's tongue has been loosened by drink - once again indicating a loss of control. There is mention of an abused lover ("Her bruised cheek"), implying he has beaten her while under the influence, and making clear his fiery temper.

Perhaps most troubling in this poem, however, is the authorities and their malign neglect. When the brutal scene of rage is concluded, a police officer is summoned. He extends his hand to the enraged man - but "he takes it only to ask for another dollar." The poem then ends with a mention of "thirty years," making it clear that this is not an isolated incident. This underlines not only the negative effect of alcohol on the indigenous community, but also the government's indifference to this and other native problems. These are the twin pictures of alcohol in Ojibwe poetry - the depressed and powerless Native American, and the uncaring face of The State.