Alcohol Aya (Habitual Drinker)

Life's Circle Continues
Source: www.firstpeople.us

*Note From The Editor: Greetings, Dear Reader, and thanks once again for visiting the One World In Concert blog.

The following post (submitted by the esteemed Lakota elder and regular OWIC blog contributor, Wicahpi Wanjila - Leroy C. Curley) is at times painful and at times empowering. A few weeks ago, One World In Concert had the unfortunate task of relating to you the enormous suffering of the Lakota people resulting from a devastating snowstorm. Among what seems an endless string of challenges facing the Lakota people (with little or no assistance from fellow Americans), their spirit and resolve persevere.

This post itself a brilliant case in point. Consider the efforts invested by Leroy in carefully conceiving his words on a typewriter in marginally comfortable conditions (to say the least) in America's poorest community (recently devastated by a blizzard). His thoughts are then carried by mail to our offices where they are carefully transcribed in his original voice to this blog. An exceptional effort in our age of modern conveniences, yet to what end?

Possibly the only truly immediately available value of these extraordinary efforts is your readership, your consideration, and your hopeful and pragmatic efforts to improve your life and those of others. Leroy's words and efforts are given selflessly on the heels of generations of humble endurance.

We commend Leroy for addressing the subject of Lakota alcoholism in this forum. Alcoholism is no doubt among the greatest obstacles facing the Native American community as a whole, yet it is also undoubtedly symptomatic of a larger, relentlessly self-absorbed society which places so little value on the contributions of so many. So with these thoughts in mind, and with great respect for all Creation struggling toward a better day, OWIC proudly presents, "Alcohol Aya (Habitual Drinker)."

My viewpoint, in relating my experience with so-called "alcoholism," is different: that we must accept non-native ideas about addictive behaviour as our own, in as much as others cannot think our lives and never will. The thinking, however well-intentioned of other people, conceals their intended or chance effect of their dominance and our subservience. And it is the job of thinking Lakota people not to be on the side of servility.

Preamble aside and post haste, the theme is here asserted that "alcoholism" is, if anything at all, a misnomer in its common descriptions.

Thus the subject of this firsthand report is C2H60, the chemical symbol for fermented and distilled liquors for which it is agent. On the whole though, alcohol has to be characterized as a neutral provocateur - sometimes mainly benevolent as solvent and antiseptic in hospitals.

Here my interest is in beverage alcohol and its harmful effect amongst some Lakota people - and certainly others - and why this is so.

And from the question of why? The focus moves to center stage to the problem drinker, as the intricate area where answers may be found. Then at the outset, the problem is singularly decided not to be the chemical, for a glass of wine cannot ever reach the mind and resulting consequences without the guzzler's help. Leave a glass of beer on the table and it will evaporate while you can go on triumphantly.

Thus the drinker's personal-social problems should be considered in the causative forefront as statistics show drug abuse being prevalent three times greater among jobless people. And in this painful situation of job-money scarcity, the drinker is a forced seeker of psychoactive drugs and analgesia.

Even then, information of the right kind and of the hazards of excessive drinking will convince most early drinkers to stop abusive drinking. So, the problem-drinker's situation must be the starting point to any resolution - as to why he is failing to adapt and why he is in a weak position.

The ideas considered up to the present, dealing with subject of drug abuse, have been ineffective to do the job of freeing people from misuse of alcohol. But this paper maintains that this is just the beginning of native views and is presently discussed about the individual's thinking in his cultural meanings.

Discussion follows: the following quotation by Dr. Terrance Sloan of the Aberdeen Area Indian Health Service is a good place to begin - "The Lakota are not a diseased people nor is alcoholism a genetic disease." In this way Lakota language constructions are called up to get a better view. The Lakota continuum when something is hecetu, hecetusni, nupinyan hecetu, and unmani hecetunsi is like the English constructs when something is, is not, both is and is not, and neither is nor is not. In either language, the first statement would read - alcoholism is a disease and so on to the last which is another restatement for this paper: Alcoholism neither is nor is not a disease. Lakota language will clear this up.

In reaching the conclusion herein, I have used both idealist and materialist positions although, in the main, employing hard experience and a 100% Lakota language world view. That is to say, I have to see both the individual and the group, especially its institutions, as bearing some responsibility and needing some fine-tuning, to put it mildly.

At long last, to begin the stages of resolution is to reintegrate the Lakota personality into a new Lakota society.

To do that one needs to take a brief look at recent history. Up until very lately, the Lakota Language was suppressed for several generations and therefore the Lakota identity became enfeebled. Furthermore, this took away his bearings and his sense of control.

Fortunately in my own experience, I did just the opposite. Speaking fluent Lakota ideas, I recreated native identity, which I doubt I ever lost, strong in self-direction, with the thought of addiction out of the picture. And the epitome of what I believe now is this - that the Lakota Spirit is greater than beverage alcohol. The symbolic equation is written in the following way: LS>ba.

Thus, I am in full measure to receive from native cultural practices in complex spiritual meanings what alcohol formerly covered up ineptly. Where the Lakota inner life had been almost snuffed out, the Inipi (life renewal) and the Canupa Opagi (sacred Pipe of Peace) ceremonies rekindled to its brightest and strongest expression. Moreover, the concepts of being a kola (friend) and wacantognaka (love) is united in the sacred phrase - Mitakuye Oyasin (all my relatives) - the ending for all Lakota prayers.

This presentation all started with a dream some years ago and in the dream-vision, a prominent Spiritual leader's voice is asking me a question. And this paper is the result of the working out of the answer in my life. However, I will wait until an opportunity arrives for me to relate in the spoken tradition.

A partial list of the Lakota ways to overcome alcohol abuse follow:
The Lakota vision quest can help me regain understanding and stability.
The way is to believe in the natural Lakota Way without alcohol and drugs.
I admit to power over alcohol, that I can discipline myself.
I need to overcome my weaknesses and frailties.
I expect, through ceremonies and Lakota prayers, to overcome my shortcomings.
I aim to improve all relations.
I seek only the Lakota Way, proven 100% without alcohol. The Lakota Way is spiritual - ourselves beginning to live this proven, native way.

Other conclusions are the following: Alcohol and drugs are not the problem; they are a result of the intense brainwashing our people have had to endure for the last one hundred years or more in Lakota Territories. But it is now time to come to our senses, to the tiospaye (extended family), the tiwahe (family), and to our Lakol caje (Lakota name of who you are) and to admit to who we truly are - as members of the Titunwun Lakota Oyate.

We have a worldview extending historically to approximately 40,000 years and certainly longer. And most importantly, Wakantanka Tunkasila Iyotan Wakan is the One Creator we worship, pray to, depend upon, for the preservation of our lives and the Lakota Way. Wakantanka Tunkasila in English translates Grandfather Great Spirit, showing that the Lakota Oyate knew the Supreme Creator for the longest time.

I myself respect all religions of the world and beyond, and the thought of trying to convert non-Lakota is never in my thoughts. I wish other religious adherents would show the same respect. Those who do missionary work in trying to convert others exhibit a lack of confidence in their own beliefs, a great uncertainty underlying all of these types of activities. World History and my personal history proves that trying to convert others is a waste of time, energy and monies.

Here, I am simply expressing my beliefs and my faith, with the Sacred Pipe of Peace and with the Seven Sacred Rituals as the guidelines. In this spirit I have stated my belief in the natural way of healing with Sun Dancing, life renewing, the four winds singing, praying in the original Lakota twice daily at daybreak and at sundown, and remembering the four sacred colors of man. Finally, I conclude in the words of a song called, "The world can't change me!'

Wicahpi Wanjila - Leroy C. Curley
03/15/2010