A Poison Amongst Us: Rebuilding Connection with Ourselves and Community

Jeremy Keenan Lovato

Santa Clara Pueblo

Jeremy Lovato - SHP Formal Proposal-1.webm

Sharing one Skin

In the article, “Sharing One Skin,” by Jeanette Armstrong, she explains and gives examples about how living is not only to care for ourselves, but for the earth and everything that surrounds us. How our survival also depends on the health and connection we have to our surroundings. She does this by splitting up our Identity into five different sections, the physical, spiritual, emotional, thinking-intellectual, and important self. The physical self is to care not only for yourself but our surroundings. The spiritual self is to connect and bond with the earth, emotional is to follow your heart and what you genuinely feel because our heart is what connects us to our surroundings, thinking-intellectual self is to use our memories and experiences in situations, and finally the important self is to feel the connections between our community and feel the instinct to protect what’s ours and who share the same skin or blood as us. That connection makes us alive because we’re connected to everything around us.

Armstrong, Jeanette 1996"Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community." Pp. 463-464 in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith(eds). The case Against the Global Economy, San Fransico, CA: Sierra Club Books.

How Place Names Impact the Way We See Landscape

In the article “How place names impact the way we see landscape” by B.Toastie, he describes how stories directly impact the land and the way we see our surroundings. They impact our perspective and how we take care of it. Our actions and aspects that make us up affect our survival because those develop our connection to the land and not only ensure our survival but the survival of our planet as well.

{Toastie.B.2022"How Place Names Impact the Way We See Landscape"High county views know the west(heh.org issues/54.3/people-places-how-place-names-impact-the-way-we-see-landscape/print-view.}

Image: Lovato, Jeremy, December 5, 2022, Personal Collection

And Then I Went to School

In the article “And Then I Went to School” by Joe Suina, Joe is sharing his story about his connection to the land and how his experiences in school shaped him into losing his connection to the land. He was strongly connected to his tradition but with the introduction to a completely different lifestyle and having to adapt to it, dwindled that connection. He was saddened that he didn’t feel or see the same as he once did before encountering a foreign lifestyle.

Suina, Joe 1985 "And Then I Went to School"(rethinkingschools.org/articles/and-then-I-went-to-school/.)

Image: Lovato, Jeremy, September 2, 2022, Personal Collection

Personal Connection

This topic/issue was chosen as my topic because it has played an important role in my life and it’s part of the reason why I am the way I am today, why I need and want to address this even further. Throughout my life, alcohol has torn apart me, my life and my family. It has taken so many that I care about in my life, and I don’t want others to feel the same pain I have. Others may experience the same or have similarities that I have, and I want to address and speak up for not only myself but others who have suffered or are currently suffering from this poison in our world. This issue wasn’t originally going to be my topic, my first choice was going to be how animals support our mental health. But one and half weeks before the start of my senior year, this, poison, contributed in taking my own mother from me. I don’t want others to suffer the way I have, and if so I want this, my topic to help others realize they’re not alone.

Image: Lovato, Jeremy, September 21, 2022, Personal Collection

"Alcoholism and Substance Abuse" by Merlene Bishop

In the article “Alcoholism and Substance Abuse”, by Merlene Bishop, alcohol has been an issue and or parasyte for indigenous people. Dating back to the 1600s until now alcohol has always been a source of grieving and a method to escape pain endured. To escape the pain of cultural loss, identity loss, and financial issues. This led to stereotypes to be created and influenced alcohol use even more. But recently treatments created to develop a healthy recovery have supported in decreasing the use of alcohol.

Image: Lovato, Jeremy, November 28, 2022, Personal Collection

Bishop,Merlene."Alcoholism and Substance Abuse". The American Mosaic: The American Indian Experience,ABC-CLIO,2023,americanindian.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1385324.Accessed 4 Oct.2023.

"Stereotypes Regarding Use of Alcohol By Native Americans" by Lynn Domina

Another research article “Stereotypes Regarding Use of Alcohol By Native Americans” by Lynn Domina, explains the history more in depth of how European influence had pushed the use of alcohol on natives. How stereotypes and traumatic events throughout history such as relocation have influenced the use and impacted native american people. Stereotypes cause natives to believe they’re more prone to addictions than others because of who they are. This belief heavily influenced drinking among native communities.

Image: Lovato, Jeremy, November 28, 2022, Personal Collection

Domina,Lynn."Stereotypes Regarding Use of Alcohol By Native Americans". The American Mosaic: The American Indian Experience,ABC-CLIO,2023,americanindian.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1839031.Accessed 4 Oct.2023.

"Ceremony Highlights Native Struggles with Alcohol Use and Abuse" by Lynn Domina

“Ceremony Highlights Native Struggles with Alcohol Use and Abuse” by Lynn Domina, she talks about the main character. Tayo, in the book “Ceremony” and his struggles of dealing with alcohol with himself and family. The time period is during the relocation era and WWII. Tayo’s mother in the story attempted to relocate in search of a better life but developed an addiction for alcohol. He too developed an addiction later when serving in the war. The struggles of stereotypes, financial issues, and the idea of feeling american all harmed natives and this was.

Image: Lovato, Jeremy, October 31, 2021, Personal Collection

Domina,Lynn."Ceremony Highlights Native Struggles with Alcohol Use And Abuse". The American Mosaic: The American Indian Experience,ABC-CLIO,2023,americanindian.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1839039.Accessed 4 Oct.2023.

"Poisonous Myths: New Mexico's Alcohol Crisis Affects Native, Anglo, and Hispanic people similarly" by Ted Alcon

The aritcle "Poisonous Myths: New Mexico's alcohol crisis affects native, anglo, and hispanic people similarly" by Ted Alcorn, tells us more about the affects that alcohol has on a variety of gorups of people rather than just the native perspective. It explains how even excluding natives, hispanic alcohol related deaths are still crtitically high. Thus making New Mexico to have one of the highest death count across the nation.

Image: Lovato, Jeremy, March 5,2024, Personal Collection

Alcorn, Ted, "Poisonous Myths: New Mexicos alcohol crisis affects Native, Anglo, Hispanic peoples similarly", https://www.Icsun-news.com/story/news/2022/07/27/new-mexico.alcohol-crisis-affects-native-anglo-hispanic-people-similarly/65380374007, July 27, 2022

"One in eight American Adults is an Alcoholic, Study says" by Christopher Ingraham

The article, "One in eight American Adults is an Alcoholic, study says" by Christopher Ingraham, talks about the affects of alcohol and it's damage across the nation. While it is stated that native americans are statistically more likely to have AUD, it is shown that many other communities and or racial groups are being poisoned by this. This is a nationwide issue that should not be overlooked.

Image: Lovato, Jeremy, March 5,2024, Personal Collection

Ingraham, Christopher, "One in eight American Adults is an Alcoholic, Study saya", https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/08/11/ study-one-in-eight-american.adults-are-alcoholics/,Aug 11, 2017

"Rising Alcohol use Among Older Adults" by Dawn Sugarman

The article, "Rising Alcohol use among Older Adults" by Dawn Sugarman, dives into how even older adults struggle with this. While the use is much more smaller and less compare to younger ones or their younger years, the struggle still follows them. This is dangerous because not only are they more sensitive to alcohol at an older age, but they're the teachers for our generation.

Image: Lovato, Jeremy, March 5,2024, Personal Collection

Sugarman, Dawn, "Rising Alcohol use Among Older Adults", https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/rising-alcohol-use-among-older-adults-202109212594, September 24, 2021

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