Native American Alcoholism

Native Americans are the first immigrants to arrive in the New World. Today, they are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States (Herring, 1992), representing 1% (2-3 million) of our total population (Garrett & Myers, 1996). Similar to other immigrants, initially they dealt with dwellings, climate, and material problems. Unlike other immigrants, however, Native Americans endured the eradication attempts of early European Americans during the Manifest Destiny Wars (Herring, 1992). Through their abuse, sterilization efforts, and their forced Reservations relocation policies (Brammer, 2004), early European Americans forced Native Americans to acculturation into their society. With this being said, it is not surprising that Native Americans live in poverty, suffer from alcoholism, and have a poor educational system on their Reservations. According to research, 18% to 66% of Native Americans are unemployed with a 60% dropout rate (Heinrich, Corbine, and Thomas, 2001). Additionally, substance abuse is the number one health problem facing Native Americans today (Garrett & Carroll, 2000).

Many American Indian tribes, like the Pueblo Indians, are resistant to acculturation into European American's mainstream culture. In the Journal of Counseling and Development, Heinrich, Corbine, and Thomas note in "Counseling Native Americans" the acculturation patterns of the Native American Indians. Their findings reveal that fifty percent of the total Native American population live off-reservation and Native American counseling is difficult because they resist the pressure to adopt mainstream America's values (Heinrich, Corbine, and Thomas, 2001). Consequently, Native American Indians bring a great deal of resentment and anger toward White people into counseling sessions. Native American counseling remains a huge problem in the United States. This paper will explore the different dimensions of Native American culture, such as traditions, values, acculturation, and counseling treatments.

Native American society is a collective society with ancient traditions. Similar to traditional eastern collective societies, they believe that mother earth gives birth to humanity and whatever befalls mother earth befalls humanity. Furthermore, Native Americans believe in the oneness of humanity, that all-living things have souls, and they enlist supernatural aid for healing and rain making. Their ancient stories, songs, and rituals are expressions of their beliefs and comprise their oral religion, which has been passed down through the generations. According to Pueblo myth, for instance, the dead spirits and the spirits of their ancestors are in league with the living in their fight against the destroyers (European Americans) to reclaim their stolen land. This myth shows how Pueblo Indians are in disharmony with nature, which is considered unhealthy in Native American society. "Once harmony is broken, however, the spiritual self is weakened and one becomes vulnerable to physical illness, mental and/or emotional upsets, and the disharmony projected by others(Good & Good, 1986, p. 6).

Native Americans strive to live in harmony with nature and maintain a great spiritual connection based on the Circle of Life. The circle symbolically represents the wholeness (no beginning or end) of life in relation to nature; the sacred beginning of life at birth, the sacred ending of life at death, and the sacred renewal of life at rebirth. Since the circle is a key concept in Native American spirituality, some counseling methods incorporate
Native American practices into their therapy sessions, such as the Circle and the Medicine Wheel.

A counselor can respectfully use a Talking Circle and a Talking Stick in therapy sessions to draw Native American clients out. In a circle, the clients pay homage to their Mother Earth while passing the Talking Stick (carved out of a piece of decorative wood) to the person to their left. Hence, the person holding the stick has the power to speak, verbally expressing their feelings and views next (Rybak, Eastin, and Robbins, 2004). A resistant Pueblo Indian, for example, could speak freely about his or her culture's belief in reclaiming their stolen land. In this way, the client is provided with a release mechanism for venting his or her resentment and anger toward White people.

Additionally, the Medicine Wheel symbolizes the circle of life, life's interconnectedness and change in four directions (North, South, East, and West), and the Native American belief to live in harmony with nature (sky and earth), self, and community. According to the Medicine Wheel, a person spends his or her whole life within the four directions or realms of the Sacred Hoop. "There are four directions, four seasons, four races of humanity, and four spheres of existence-the mental, the physical, the emotional, and the spiritual" (Roberts, Harper, Bull, & Provost, 1998, p. 135). During a counseling session, a therapist can have the client create a Medicine Wheel on the ground and bless it with tabacco, sage, and sweet grass (Rybak, Eastin, and Robbins, 2004). In this way, the client revisits his or her Medicine Wheel and thinks about its symbolic meaning in relation to his or her own growth and life (mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically). The Medicine Wheel helps the client center on the meaning of truth, walking in step with the circle, and finding his or her purpose and direction in life (Garrett & Myers, 1996).

When incorporating Native American healing practices into counseling sessions, a therapist can also help mend a Native American's broken circle during the alcoholism recovery process. Since substance abuse is the number one health problem facing Native Americans today (Garrett & Carroll, 2000), findings ways to counsel Native Americans is important and remains very difficult. Again, using the power of the circle to restore the harmony and well being of a Native American client can be useful to the therapist. Some underlying factors that indicate the client is walking out of step with the sacred circle are lack of belonging (East), lack of enjoyment (South), limited strength and independence (West), and lack of generosity (North) (Garrett & Carroll, 2000). It is also important to note that level of acculturation (isolation, peer pressure, coping mechanisms etc) among Native Americans plays a role in substance abuse (Garrett & Carroll, 2000). When doing a therapeutic assessment on a Native American client, the therapist should consider his or her cognitive, behavioral, spiritual, psychological issues, and social/environmental. In essence, therapists can use these questions to assess their Native American client.

1. What is their understanding of their native culture, languages, and
customs?
2. Do they participate in tribal or European American activities, groups, or
clubs?
3. Do they believe their method of blending in with their environment fits
better with traditional or European American values?
4. Are they connected with the spiritual identity of their tribe or with
European American churches?
5. Is the client suicidal or misdiagnosed? (Brammer, 2004)

In closing, helping Native American clients restore their walk with their sacred circle and the balance in their lives remains a difficult task for non-native counselors. Since their acculturation into European society has disrupted the harmony and balance of so many Native American lives, it is imperative that counselors consider their Native American client's level of acculturation into American society. If they display a lack of belonging and enjoyment, then incorporating Native American healing practices (Talking Circle, Talking Stick, and Medicine Wheel) into their sessions will benefit their recovery. Counselors should be careful not to misdiagnose Native American clients and treat them respectfully and holistically. They "should not separate the spirituality from the person, but treat both" (Garrett & Garrett, 1994).

References

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