Drinking is not the Dene way

I am glad to see that News/North has consistently made the effort over the years to address the issues of alcoholism and homelessness in the North, two issues that do not get enough coverage from our money-making news industry these day. First of all I would again like to mention why I am doing this series of articles for my column.

We - the survivors of residential schools across Canada - are now starting to receive some monies from the Canadian Government as a monetary apology of sorts for the years of abuse and cultural genocide we were put through. Many people, coming from where they invariably do, will be bound to see this as more free money for the First Nations. Well, this money is definitely not free, not even close to being enough to adequately pay for our lost childhoods and culture.

We are continuing to pay, and so are our children and their futures, for the losses we suffered. I do know that every day of my life is marked somehow by these traumatic earlier years. One of the things I do want our other survivors to know is that spending this money on anything other than something useful is also a great waste of it.

No matter the amount or what it may or may not represent, it is a step in the right direction by our government and we need to know what the intent of this is. It also has to do with the power of alcohol. Whether we want to, can, or do face our addictions, this alcohol has a powerful spirit that it represents, which has to be respected as such and to be dealt with on a daily basis. I am also grateful for the likes of News/North reporter Christine Grimard for her good writing lately.

Stories that come to mind are a homeless Gwich'in woman forced to live out at the campground, and now for her latest, that of a recovering alcoholic, with a story much like my own. Alcohol is an escape, yes, but definitely not a solution. When you choose to take that drink no one else puts it in your hands.

The money for it has to come from somewhere, and besides, when you pay for it, the money really does not have anything to do with it. It is simply a means for you to feed your addiction. You begin to pay with the loss of your health, and then your job and finally with the loss of your family, your relations and then your culture, and too often, your life. Drinking is not Dene.

http://nnsl.com/northern-news-services/stories/papers/dec3_07mountain.html