One Bottle, Many Lives: Alcohol's Grip Across Generations
Josalyn Helaina Kateri Gipson
Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo & Chickasaw Nation
Josalyn Helaina Kateri Gipson
Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo & Chickasaw Nation
Gipson Josalyn, 07 March 2025
Identity
Gipson Josalyn, " New York City", 22 April 2023
In the article " Sharing One Skin " by Jeanette Armstrong she talks about community and traditions in the Okanagan culture. She also explains how people are tied to each other through different ways. One of the things that stood out to me that was mentioned many times was language and culture.
Armstrong Jeanette, "Sharing One Skin", https://feministfuturesea.wordpress.com//2020/1/09/jeanette-armstrong-sharing-one-skin/ 09 January 2020
Gipson Josalyn, "Bonfire" 24 December 2023
In the article " How place names impact the way we see landscape" by B. Toastie she talks about community and the importance of it. She expalins the sacredness of communities and how names of certain places are given. The different worlviews of landscape and mainly how colonizers have taken the name of communities and sacred places.
Toastie B. , " How place names impact the way we see landscape", https://www.hen.org/issues/54-5/people-places-how-place-names-impact-the-way-we-see-landscape/, High Country News, 24 January 2024
Gipson, Josalyn, NMAI, 19 April 2023
In the article " And then I went to school " by Joe Suina he talks about childhood memories as an indigenous child and how going to school made him change his views of life. He grew up very traditional and as he went to school his tradition, culture and the only life he had know had been stripped away from him. Mr Suina noticed himself being disassociated with his traditon, culture, and language. Him not being able to use his language and being punished started to make him lose the traditional side of him. he tried making sense of both sides but ultimately it was hard for him.
Suina Joe, "And then I went to school" , https://rethinkingschools.org/articles/and-then-i-went-to-school/ Rethinking Schools, 22 June 2024
The Road Leading to Trauma
In this article it talked about boarding schools and how badly they treated Native Americans were forced to leave their homes to go to school and convert to christianity. The overall plan was for the United States to kill and annihilate or assimilate indigenous peoples. They wanted to take away their language and culture. The children were neglected and faced many forms of trauma. These traumatic experiences have been brought down through generations. Survivors suffer from many health problems due to the traumatic experiences.
Mejia, Melissa , " The U.S History of Native American Boarding Schools" , The Indigneous Foundation, 26 July 2022, https://www.theindigenousfoundation.org/articles/us-residential-schools
Unspoken: America’s Native American boarding schools. (2017, October 12). [Video]. https://www.pbs.org/video/unspoken-americas-native-american-boarding-schools-oobt1r/
Indian Removal Act. (n.d.). https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/indian-removal-act/
In this article it talks about the Indian Removal Act and how it has affected Native Americans. The plan was to remove them from the east pf the Mississipi River. This forced the removal in the late 1830s and it had become known as the Trail of Tears. In 1814-1824 there had been 11 treaties that were signed to redistribute indigenous lands to whites. When Andrew Jackson became president he promoted and signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830 into law. About 46,000 to 60,000 Native Americans were forced sometimes by the U.S military to abandon their homes and to relocate to " Indian Territory"
National.Geographic, " Indian Remocal Act " National Geographic, 01 October 2024, http://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/indian-removal-act/
In this article it talks about how alcohol misuse became about to Native Americans. It became a series of European colonists, current social and cultural issues. European colonization was also brought up. Some tribes actually produced weak beers and other fermented beverages. They were only used for ceremonial purposes. When various european colonoists started making large amounts of distilled spirits and wine available to American Indians it became a problem. It was a problem because unexperienced American Indians started to misuse it.
Beauvais Fred, "American Indians and Alcohol" Alcohol Health and Research World, 25 November 2022, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.gov/articles/PMC6761887/
Wikipedia contributors. (2025, September 29). Alcohol and Native Americans. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_and_Native_Americans
Current State of The Issue
Gipson Josalyn "sunrise" 22 September 2025
This article mainly talked about the substance use within Native American Communities. It also talked about how trauma and colonialism are factors in alcohol abuse. This article gives us the insight on how things that have happened to Native Americans and is the cause of alcohol misuse. These can also have an impact on generations. You learn and develop the addiction. These probems can be passed down and it is important to not develop the trauma.
Cavaliere-Mazziotta, R. (2024c, October 1). The impact of historical trauma on substance use disorders in Native American communities. Published in Critical Debates in Humanities, Science and Global Justice. https://criticaldebateshsgj.scholasticahq.com/article/124050-the-impact-of-historical-trauma-on-substance-use-disorders-in-native-american-communities
Gipson Josalyn 5 July 2025
This article mainly walks you through how generational alcoholics form. It gives us variants of how the addcition can build and how it gets worse over time. The article tells us how it mainly runs through males. This is because the male role models have a unique influence over family patterns. Through generations its a big issue because it is eother taught ealry on or you learn and develop the family patterns.
Recovery, S. (2025, October 8). Generational Addiction in Men: Breaking the cycle. Spero Men’s Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Colorado. https://www.sperorecovery.org/generational-addiction/
Global Connections
R/NEWZEALND, REDDIT.COM
The Social Context of Alcohol Use Among Maori In Aotearoa/ New Zealand: Reflections of Life Experiences of Alcohol Use by Older Maori
What the study showed under these 4 themes was that alcohol plays a significant role. Alcohol use is prevalent and heavy drinking and making the use of alcohol complex. Their connectedness and occurs the Whanau ( extended family and community ) is important socializing goes a long way with alcohol
Māori.” International Journal of Indigenous Health, vol. 12, no. 1, June 2017, pp. 57–74. https://doi.org/10.18357/ijih121201716904.
“ALCOHOL ABUSE BEHIND HIGH RATES OF EARLY DEATH AMONG INDIGENOUS, STUDY FINDS. GUARDIAN, 20 SEPT. 2017,
Alcohol Abuse Behind High Rates & Early Death Among Indigenous
This article basically talked about a significantly higher death rate among indigenous Australians aged 35-54 compared to the broader population. Alcohol consumption is linked to health issues and suicidal tendencies within this community. Current strategies such as dry zones, have not been effective. Support systems, like weekly gatherings offer some hope. However, high unemployment rates, low school completion, and funding allocation issues persist, highlighting the need for improved mental health services and more effective solutions.
Davey, Melissa. “Alcohol Abuse Behind High Rates of Early Death Among Indigenous, Study Finds.” The Guardian, 20 Sept. 2017, www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/feb/20/alcohol-abuse-behind-high-rates-of-early-death-among-indigenous-study-finds.
SMITH, RYAN P.
“UNRAVELING THE GENETIC HISTORY OF A FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE.
SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE, 26 APR. 2018, WWW.SMITHSONIANMAG.COM/SCIENCE
This article basically stated that alcohol was used as a form of trade with Native Americans. Early control of alcohol sales to natives began in 1775, followed by the Indian Act of 1884, which restricted alcohol purchase. The ban was partly due to concerns about productivity. Racism also played a role, with white people avoiding social interaction with Native Americans. Additionally, the article mentions that children were raised in difficult environments, leading to coping mechanisms like alcohol use, which were then passed down through generations.
A Look at First Nations Prohibition of Alcohol
20 October 2016
https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/first-nations-prohibition-of-alcohol
Action Plan