The Rise of the Mohawk Part III

Although the Kahnawake, have lived peaceably among the other Mohawks for many years, they developed more social issues as they integrated with outside cultures. Not all of the results that have arisen due to cross-cultural interaction have been bad: many Native Americans the territory are now attending schools of higher education and are bringing back tremendous amounts of knowledge to their communities; but along with good changes have come some detrimental ones.

One of the first major epidemics to strike Native American communities all over North America was alcoholism. According to the Department of Health and Community Services at California State University of Chico, “The physiological theories generally suggest significant differences in alcohol absorption and metabolism rates between Native Americans and Caucasians. A wide variety of social factors appear to be implicated in Native American drinking problems.”Many also became involved in drug trafficking, namely moving around large quantities of marijuana. The climate around the Mohawk territory is ideal for marijuana growing and some of the residents have taken to the risky business of cultivating this plant. Most of the problems created by marijuana stem from the issues it created with law enforcement as opposed to causing detrimental community problems. Now the biggest issue has become crack and cocaine abuse, which have had a great impact on residents throughout the territory.

These drugs have made a swift and profound impact on the Kahnawake population. Ten years ago people had barely heard of such substances, and words like “crystal meth” and “crack” were not widespread. Alcohol was a big problem but it at least was something familiar and there were treatments available. Nobody knew how to react to the influx of harder drugs into the community. Most people simply shrugged it off as something that didn’t involve them and those who started using claimed that they were under control.

Nowadays the biggest problem is not so much that these drugs have found their way to the territory, it is the fact that children are getting access to these drugs at an astonishingly young age. What is even more saddening is the manner in which they acquire these drugs: now girls as young as thirteen have begun to resort to prostitution in order to feed their addictions and have been reported of stealing from their own families in order to have enough money to buy crack. Such activities are tearing the community apart, but how can one fight a problem that is so engrained in the lifestyle of community members from the very young to the older and respected members of the community?

One woman commented on The Eastern Door – a community based newspaper serving the Mohawks of Kahnawake – a saying her ex-husband, a crack addict, told her that he saw, “Peacekeepers, executives, a hockey coach and many young teenagers doing these drugs together.”

She continued by sharing a more personal story that perfectly demonstrates the severity of this situation that The Eastern Door published in a recent article:

“Her daughter began using cocaine when she was 12 years old. Her daughter has told her that there are many young girls who are using this drug, but do not have the money to fuel this habit. Instead of paying for the drug these girls are selling their bodies in exchange for cocaine. And the guys that give these young girls cocaine in exchange for sex are old enough to be their fathers. She said all these girls need to do is sleep with five or six of these guys and they’ll have enough cocaine for the night. Her daughter also told her that one of her older male friends, who’s now 15, would take care of her when they were using cocaine. She asked what she meant by that. Her answer was that he makes sure that she doesn’t take any bad cocaine. “I asked her how he would know the difference between good cocaine and bad,” she said. “She answered ‘Well, he gets it from his mother.’”

Having parents in the community who allow kids to use cocaine at the house is what has caused many children to accept this drug as something that is “not a big deal.” How can these children be blamed when some of the most influential members of the community are notorious drug users? Although any addicted children should certainly be treated as soon as possible and helped in any way possible, nothing will ever change if the older generation does not lead by example.

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission’s responsibility to the tribe only increases daily as the revenues continue to pour in. Going from a state of relative poverty to a sudden influx of extreme wealth can often spell danger and the signs have been around for some time in the Mohawk territory. Drugs have ruined many families’ lives already and the situation will only deteriorate unless something is done. More money for drug awareness programs as well as programs for parents to detect when their kids are addicted are necessary to ensure that the problem doesn’t get even more out of hand.

All of this wealth is either going to become the greatest blessing the Kahnawake Community has ever received, or it may very well just be the devil in disguise. The future is in the hands of the Chief and Council, because the entire community will be depending on them to take the right actions to fight this situation.

Related Drug Addiction Blogs

• » How to Lose Weight Really Fast With Fat Loss Idiots Diet Plan
• Cocaine, Crack Abuse – Addiction Signs, Overdose Side Effects …
• Information on Vitamin E « We Research Health
• Trickster: Matt Dembicki on His Cartoon Anthology of Native …
• The Jibsheet » Arts » American Indian Film Festival Plants New …
• Quinte News – Ceremony goes sour!
• metabolism rate | Metabolism
• Medicine Bear Program for Native American Youth at Southern Peaks …
• The Nuu-Reiki Project: Japanese Healing Meets Native American …
• Fast Weight Loss – Eat For A Lean Body | Avoiding Childhood …