The Northwest Indian Treatment Center runs a 45-day inpatient treatment program in Elma, Washington. The Squaxin Island Tribe created the program to address an unmet need for culturally based drug and alcohol treatment centers for Indian people who grew up on reservations. The program specializes in treating people with chronic relapse patterns…

This study examined the link between alcohol use and domestic violence in the American Indian population. A total of 204 American Indian families and 2,007 non-American Indian Whites were analyzed using the 1985 National Family Violence Resurvey. The rates of family violence were first calculated by ethnicity, and then compared to a sample of…

Describes an alcohol recovery program offered by White Bison, Inc. (Colorado Springs), that integrates the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous with traditional Native American ceremonies and medicine wheel teachings symbolizing the life cycle. (LP)

Attitudes toward alcohol abuse are changing in Indian country. A number of separate but complementary attitudes are creating a circle of support in the fight against alcohol abuse. These new attitudes hold that: (1) Native Americans are not condemned by their race to a destiny of alcohol-related problems, but, rather, have a choice; (2) abstinence…

In the Northern Plains of the United States, 100% of Indian reservations are affected by alcohol related problems. Approximately 90% of Native American adults are currently alcohol users or abusers or are recovering from alcohol abuse. Alcohol consumption has a devastating effect on the unborn. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is an irreversible birth…

Colonial accounts depict how the alcohol trade destabilized Indian communities in colonial British America during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Despite the social costs of alcohol use within Indian communities, liquor remained a staple of Indian-colonist trade, perhaps because it facilitated the conquest of eastern North America. (LP)

This study examined the risk for alcoholism, diabetes, and depression (triADD) in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations in the U.S. Using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a series of descriptive statistics and regression models were used to examine the interrelationships among these disorders in AI/AN populations.…

Although much of traditional psychology assumes that a spiritual orientation is largely a matter of choice, it is contended here that such choices are embedded in the rich fabric of the cultural framework. This study explores a quantitative and qualitative contrast between Caucasian and Native American alcoholics on dimensions of spiritual…

Alcohol abuse and alcoholism are the leading health problems among American Indian communities. Public policy options that address these problems include controlling the supply of alcoholic beverages; shaping drinking practices directly; or reducing physical and social environmental risks. Discusses alcohol-related death rates and community…

A workshop aimed to increase participant knowledge about how to improve vocational rehabilitation (VR) services for American Indians with alcohol disorders. Objectives included dissemination of results of a national research project; an overview of issues related to rehabilitation, alcohol abuse, and American Indian people; and specific…

A review of research on prevention of alcohol abuse among American Indians found that they experience many alcohol-related health problems. Indians have earlier age of first involvement with alcohol, more frequent drinking, and more negative consequences than non-Indians. Prevention programs must consider American Indian heterogeneity and cultural…

Two hearings held on October 24, 1985, and April 29, 1986, produced testimony about two House bills on prevention and treatment of Indian juvenile alcoholism and drug abuse. These bills provide for (1) programs of instruction on alcohol and drug abuse in Indian schools in kindergarten through grade 12; (2) training about alcohol and drug abuse for…

This report describes school and community efforts to prevent alcoholism and substance abuse among American Indian and Alaskan Native youth. In 1986, the Indian Health Service (IHS) surveyed Bureau of Indian Affairs schools, public schools with large Indian enrollments, and community groups involved in 225 IHS-funded alcohol and substance abuse…

This resource guide provides information on programs, publications, organizations, and other resources related to prevention of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). The purpose of this guide is to assist health care providers to comply with Indian Health Service (IHS) FAS goals and objectives. It gives examples of community approaches to FAS prevention,…