The Roots of Alcoholism and Suicide in Bush Alaska
Our part of the country has the distinction of having some of the highest rates of suicide, alcohol related crime, and domestic abuse in the nation. As a court employee, I see aspects of these problems all the time. I often wonder what the root causes are.
As a newcomer here, life seems great. This is a place where with some hard work a person can still live off the land. True independence some might say. With massive salmon runs all summer and fall, abundant fish in the winter, a 40,000 head caribou herd nearby, and an amazing fall berry harvest, coming up with the caloric intake to survive is a piece of cake.
A newcomer like myself looks around and says, life is great. Why is alcoholism so pervasive? Why are people mail-ordering cases of lysol to drink like cocktails? Why are young people killing themselves?
Some people blame it on the clash of cultures... the transition from traditional Eskimo subsistence to cash based American style economy hasn't been going well. This article called Spoiling the Blueberry Patch is about a village in Northwest Alaska, and it may as well be about any of the villages in the bush. I think it's slightly dated, but it describes the catch 22 involved in transitioning from pure subsistence to a lifestyle with monthly bills. People suddenly have to work hard to subsist PLUS come up with a certain amount of cash.
I'm sure that's a factor. I can't scientifically verify it, but I imagine another factor is the effect television has on people's perception of reality. TV is almost universal. In some cases, you will see a home without indoor plumbing, or even a kitchen, but it will have a big TV, VCR and Dish TV satellite system. One thing you won't find on TV is much positive reinforcement for living a subsistence lifestyle in rural Alaska. A natural consequence of this, especially amongst the young people, is a dissatisfaction with living in the bush and a blindness to the positive aspects. Instead, people want what they see on TV... cool shoes, cool clothes, etc.
I'm not being critical here. I was exactly the same way with my own Montana roots. Of course, I recognize the possibility that I'm just projecting my past experiences on my current situation.
Anyway, it's something to think about.
It's 10 AM, twilight, and the moon is shining bright. The sun will make an appearance in about an hour.
posted by Team Wilco @ 9:25 AM
1 Comments:
Dawson,
I don't know if the whole kit & kabuttle can be blamed on television but it definitely plays a role--and not only in the bush but across the planet. Here's what befuddles me, people know that they're staring at a box filled with fantasy. So what is it about television that causes people to project fantasies they've watched in the box onto life; their aspirations, desires, goals, even the way they speak and the reference points they use to communicate. I thought Seth Kantner nailed this later notion quite well through his character Cutak in ‘Ordinary Wolves’. “…without cognizance of football players, famous actors, or processed food, most conversations may as well be dogs barking.” “Everything means sex, money, or sports, right?”
So many people basing their opinions and ethics on the expertise of actors whose expertise is to pretend. So many people forming their discontent on the comparisons they make between their lives and the make-believe lives they see in the box. “Comparison is the mother of discontent.”
Television is muddling the minds of Native Peoples and all the rest of us. But whose fault is that. Every television I’ve ever seen comes equipped with an on and off switch.
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