Community Perspective
Native adults must set positive examples for youths
Published Thursday, May 29, 2008
Digg
delicious
Facebook
Mixx
Reddit
Stumble It!Alaska Native youths in many rural communities endure not only their own problems, but the problems of their adults. It’s a fact that rural communities have an abundance of people abusing drugs and alcohol.
It’s sad, but that’s the truth, and it needs to be faced. Facing the truth is sometimes hard, but with the encouragement of others, it can be done.
Many adults in their 20s and 30s, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and friends are finally realizing the destruction of the abuse of drugs and alcohol. They’re realizing that it is not worth their lives, although they’re not realizing that the younger generation, the youths, have already been influenced by their actions.
Take, for instance, any 15-year-old in a rural community. His older brother is 18; he abuses drugs and alcohol. He stops when he is between 25 and 30, although he already influenced his younger brother to do the same. When will his younger brother realize the destruction it does to life? Possibly, when he, too, is finished influencing the younger generation.
This is sad, but it has been a subtle cycle of life for generations.
Yes, it’s true that adults influenced the younger generations. This is, in part, how the words of Frank Outlaw come true: “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
Drinking is like a contagious disease that people wish not to cure. It’s an epidemic that’s killing hundreds of youths, yet adults don’t seem to want to cure it.
What thoughts go through adults’ minds? While drunk, they seem to become inadequate in their moral judgments. They incorporate drugs and alcohol in the youths’ lives. They think “it’s cool” because everyone else does it. That’s just where it starts, and then it leads into all the thoughts that drunks think.
What will the youths’ destiny be if this subtle cycle of life continues? How do you see them in the future? Their judgments will be their character; their character will be their destiny. It’s actually quite scary. What will be their destiny? Jail? Divorce? Cancer? Child support? Or death?
You think of the possibilities.
Adults need to work with youths throughout the rural communities of Alaska and stop this subtle cycle of life before it becomes the character of the entire community. Youths need to be encouraged by seeing the adults stop first. They need to be influenced to do the same. Adults need to watch their actions, for they become the thoughts of their youths.
This subtle cycle of life has to disappear from rural communities; the younger generation, your brothers and sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends’ future is at stake.
Jonathan Moses Henzie is a 16-year-old Athabascan from Allakaket who currently attends Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka.
Community Discussion
Newsminer.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full user's agreement.
It's more likely for the youth to set a good example for their parents. There's a lot more troublemaking Boomers out there than Millenials.
Hmm... on second thought, that sounds rather trollish.
Good article kid, lead the way.
Very nice job young man. you have opened a subject that is not easily talked about or welcomed in an open discussion. good for you, for having the guts and nerve to do it. this is the way change happens....sometimes it's slow with 1 person and it'll catch on slowly too. It's a long haul but Keep your faith strong in God, in yourself and in your people and you will prevail. God bless you.
Native Youth are the communities' greatest resource. The challenge, Jonathan, is for you and your friends and relatives to bridge the two worlds you are growing up in, to both access a formal education in Fairbanks or elsewhere, but then to return to your bush communities once you have gained new skills and knowledge in order to keep them strong, healthy, and vibrant. It is no easy feat as you know. Many people along the way will tell you that the bush is no longer viable, that to succeed, you must leave and move to the city. And as you do, your communities will slowly die, and with them, your culture, your language, and your way of life. They will judge you too, tell you that because your people now hunt with 4-wheelers and rifles rather than bows and arrows, you aren't authentic enough anyway for their liking. I hope you will learn to politely ignore their misunderstanding of what it means to be a 21st century Alaska Native. But you know the greatest challenge: how to continue to live in the bush when economic opportunity is so limited? It is not an easy question with easy answers. But I sense someone like you, with enough energy and entrepreneurial spirit, can keep the hopes and dreams of your people alive. Good luck, and mahsi cho for writing this article.
I am proud of Jonathon for writing this and I'm extra proud of the positive comments by the five before me. It could be different and I continue to hold my breath when articles like this are printed, sadly Anchorage isn't as friendly. Please be kind with any further comments, I take them deeply to heart and will ponder them for days to come.
Good job Johnathan! Good to know you are out there.
i was just thinking about this, a lot, since our spring carnival when a young teenage girl wrote a speech about drugs and alcohol. it was about how young teenagers who think the only way to have fun is through alcohol and drugs. i am proud of the younger generations who are speaking out on this very troubled issue.
its good to know that the younger generation can see more clearly than most adults because i can see that they are the ones who will be changing the world for the better. what i mean is, all the pollution, trash on the ground, bad habits such as that, will be cleaned up and fixed (or whatever) by our younger generations. i can already see it on tv, kids all over the world are recycling and using energy saving products. in their future, there will be no more pollution and they will be the ones to save mother earth. i am so proud and have such great respect for our young ones.
i am not perfect but i am working on it and the more i see stuff like this article, the more i want to strive to better myself.
thank you so much for this and i hope no one stops raising awareness about troubled issues, no matter how much it hurts.
Great words from a young man who is on the right path. Keep on saying these words and maybe more people will listen to you and take it to heart to try to change our communities for the better. Keep strong and do not listen to the people who say negatives things to you. God bless.
Calvin
Thank you for all the encouraging comments. I'm glad to know that there are more people out there with the same thoughts. Although sometimes putting together all the thoughts may be difficult. It was difficult for me to write this article, although words like these comments has inspired me in completing the article.
Thank you,
Jonathan M. Henzie
Keep it up, Jonathan!
Jonathan---
You seem wise beyond your 16 years. I'm confident that you will find the strength within to continue on your path to a fulfilled life. It will be difficult at times, but with your passion you can do it.
Suggestions for the drunkard adults, referenced above:
How about having a single beer, instead of a single case?
Or having a single shot of an aged, expensive bourbon, instead of an entire bottle of $5 generic crap?
Or how about not harassing the tourists and throwing up on their shoes, as one of the "vermin" from downtown did yesterday.
How about not approaching me in the parking lot at Freds and telling me you need "phiffy sen furra bahta"?
Thank you for the excellent letter Jonathan, you are definitely on a good track & will do well in your life.
Thank you jonathan for getting this letter out there. I hope there are many other teens your age who read this and keep in mind the destruction that alcohol does on our people. My little cousin knows you from TCC youth delegates and i hope you get your point across to all of your friends. With this letter you have already made change, keep it up and you will make a difference in so many lives. NATIVE PRIDE!!!!!
Jonathan, I'm very proud of you. You did a wonderful thing by writing this letter. Keep up the great work.
Unfortunately, in a free society, people are free to be destructive to themselves and to others. Every community has it's reprobates. For some reason it seems more tragic when the person involved is a native. Perhaps it is because they are a smaller group. I've spent some time in the bush and have seen some terrible things, all related to alcohol. For the native community alcohol abuse is the #1 problem. Sure they have other problems but they hardy seem to mater if their future generation is destroying itself. Prohibition does not address the cause of the problem, it only addresses the symptoms. They need to change their attitudes about themselves and their relationship to alcohol.
roadtrip, everyone has free will and what they do with that is undoubtly their choice. jonathan is expressing his free will and choice by writing this article and making his choices known to others. village life offers much more to those who chose not to drink or use drugs. why do you think Jonathan is writing about this? because he sees the beauty and value of his country and his culture he wants to change things as he sees them right now. not only for the betterment of his future but also for that of the community. blind people who spent "some time in the bush" come away with just that...a blinded opinion. appreciation of the beauty of culture and nature is not something that you can just pick up after spending some time in the bush, it comes over time and with experiencing all the wonders.
I am glad that more of us are starting to realize that alcohol and drugs are killing and hurting our people. More of us need to take a stand against alcohol and drugs. I encourage the native people to take back their pride and boot the alcohol. Let your voice be heard Jonathan, keep talking. Thank you.
good job jonathan! i don't know you, but i'm feeling your writings.
as for sdoownek's hateful comment, this is somthing we must be able to look past and not hurt from also. the transition from village life to city life can be very difficult. it's a culture shock when you speak different and are not integrated into the higher luxuries of society. especially when you have a lot of spoiled, disrespectful people who can be of any race that want to act as if they got here because they are of a different level of human being.
i felt this very much when i first moved to the city, my first three years i felt crushed by the culture shock and did not know where i stood. my alcohol problems got worst and worst and there were many who were at the bottom with me.
i'm free of the substence abuse for over 10 years, but who's counting. the good thing is i can live good in the city now where there's financial opportunity and i can go home to enjoy moose hunting for MEAT, bear huning, geese hunting. i can also look anyone in the eye and enjoy there conversation if they're willing and not feel less than, or think that i might sound like, "phiphy sen furah" or whatever! when i see my friends or relatives downtown, i may not hang out with them, but i still shake there hands in public and talk to them. i just hope they can transition before dyeing, and i don't feel any better than them.
Jonathan, thank you for your letter. After reading how so many of our teenagers today are turning towards drugs and alcohol, it's really encouraging to hear from someone who isn't. You are a true example of what it takes to be a leader.
Good Job, Way to Go, Greatly Out Spoken most adults in the rural communities would not have dared such letter to be submitted, Congrates on your efforts and acknowledgement instead of ignoring and using yourself, i applaud you Jonathan. Most adults would just humph on the subject cause they are using or that they feel guilty for contributing to the problem.
Although that is part or more like a small percentage of the delimma within rural communities. its a set of factors more along the lines of NO economy NO participation from community members to generate, granted that it takes a community to change, but most have been degraded over the years or neglected with PROPER education NOT education that was forced on them nor subject to ill education cause the teachers filling positions in rural communities failed terribly, if they had succeeded, education would have been experienced differently for each individual or most member.
No economy is due to a new society effecting the rural communities way of life and that is subsistance, where they know subsistence very well, besides that there have been abuses far worse than one society being effected in a short amount of time where a tribe or region has a hard time to adjust. This adjustment was implemented in a wrong way and has been for years. I spoken to elder from native communities and they have seen the effects since they were children running around with their parents, others were given away, while those were deported to boarding schools. You all may have heard similar stories regarding issues effecting a community.
But this is one cultural group that has been effected but the solution would be to resolve it with dignity without slander, critizism, nor abuse. Glad jonathan can write and recognize, he will soon realize after his studies, that there is a larger picture than one topic.
I told you that someday you gonna be a leader and look at you already ... OUOR NEXT UPCOMING CHIEF !!! KEEP IT UP BRO !!!
@sdoownek
How many shots of that expensive aged bourbon have you had in the morning?
Calling Alaska Natives “vermin”.
Your nothing more than a classless educated Bigot.
Good Job Jonathan, truer, wiser words never spoken!!
As an Alaskan Native Youth, I commend you for your courage to speak up. As it is now, young people are scared to tell it like it is. You have a unique gift that will be with you forever. Keep up the good work and carry on your message so that WE ALL CAN HEAR IT! We need more people young or old to speak up and talk about the alcohol and drug problems in our Native communities. Mahsii Choo!
I find it interesting that I've been accused of a hateful, bigoted comment, when, in fact, I offered suggestions. Not easy to hear, I'm sure.
Everyone that's commented has told this kid that he's doing the right thing, that people need to talk about this, that something needs to be done. But when it comes down to it--when someone wants to actually talk about the issue rather than just glossing over the dirty undercarriage--nobody really wants to hear about it.
So, sure, congratulate this kid for a well written letter.
That's easy.
But are you doing anything else?
You are the person he's addressing.
You are the person he's telling to get off your butt and do something.
0cents I think sdoownek was referring to the drunken folk that infest downtown. If you assume that they must be "native", I would suggest that you are the bigot.
@sdoownek
Doing the word dance again?
Your comments are nothing more than a smoke screen for your hatred of the Alaskan Natives.
Let’s see the suggestions you offer to an alcoholic “How about having a single beer, instead of a single case?” “Or having a single shot of an aged, expensive bourbon, instead of an entire bottle of $5 generic crap?”
If they could afford expensive bourbon that you drink, do you think they would stop at one shot or one beer?
How about this statement- “Or how about not harassing the tourists and throwing up on their shoes, as one of the "vermin" from downtown did yesterday.”
“vermin”- “characterization of a particular class or group of people as inferior and subhuman, and often considered social parasites..”
Sdoownek your second post just shows your arrogance.
Next time you sit on your toilet, flush it before taking your comments out of it.
You offered no suggestions flush your toilet.
Sdoownek maybe your comments went over me head.
Are they hyperbole?
Hook
Line
Sinker
@Freezee
Did you not read what this post is about?
Cockroaches infest. Are you calling those drunken folks cockroaches?
Sdoownek claims to be educated. Do you think he needs help?
Now it was a great article, yet all these comments are point of views to be expressed in our democracy, which is great, unfortunetly none of the comments are helpful except to realize those perceptions of individuals who have the right to express their opinion. Its there nature, different back ground, yet they associate with their own class of society, which we fit in comfortably. Alright yes there are drunks downtown. Yes they panhandle to get by. They struggle each day cause of their disease habit. Its nothing that can be solved by providing them a place to stay nor food. An alcoholic does not look at race nor color or attitude, but the next drink. They may or may have not had a choice to become an alcoholic either. Like other neighborhoods either those who have a house or apartment struggle with substance abuse, close or open it only reveals they are alcoholics. If one or we all are open minded we would read further into subjects than just to critizise or state opinions that would just repeat itself, in reality no one is a hatred, bigot, racist, poor, rich, but just confused for they do not accept wanting to help change but to express aggressive views cause they can smirk behind these words. Anyhow, its just not natives who are drunks, there are many forms of DRUNKS out there successful ones, politicians, doctors, business owners, etc. they range all categories.
You may see the change, but if your caught up in this cycle, one thing would be on your mind, "I NEED ANOTHER DRINK", there they plunder in a hole where those walking over the hole makes comments and do not try to understand why they want to be in that hole. They are not forced, they are not pushed, but they choose to be there cause it is a mental illness constant craving for alcohol nothing else matters, except that drink. Society created this, not one person, not a group, not one specific all in some way contributed this problem. Yes the drunks can choose to sober up they can get help. NEXT TIME GO TALK WITH ONE OR TWO OR MORE BUY THEM A BOTTLE AND ASK THEM WHY THEY DO WHAT THEY DO, THEY WILL TELL YOU flat out
but they will never give an interview for any news paper, trust me i tried, lol but they will talk if your kind enough to help them out. They do not wish to get the shakes the next morning, nervousness, anxiety attackes, sweats, twitching nerves, etc. So enjoy your comments they are not help except to realize your not opening up your mind, ................
self-esteem
Main Entry: self–es·teem
Pronunciation: \-ə-ˈstēm\
Function: noun
Date: 1657
1 : a confidence and satisfaction in oneself :
self-respect
Main Entry: self–re·spect
Pronunciation: \-ri-ˈspekt\
Function: noun
Date: 1765
1 : a proper respect for oneself as a human being
2 : regard for one's own standing or position
I thank all of you for all the comments, including the suggestions, as well as the debates. All of the comments has truly been respectful in regards to myself and the article. Although, thedebating or more likely arguing, is written proof that this article was been hard to write, just by the comments of people debating about whats correct and whats wrong. This are all of our moral judgements working hard. Once again I thank all of you for your comments, although are you going to stop encouraging me to keep my good work up and actually go out and encourage the people who are abusing drugs and alcohol to stop. It's hard, but worth it. Think of the possibilities that can happen to a person drinking? It's scary... I encourage people through writting, not just to be recognized. Yes, I love my writting, although I could just write my writtings without letting everyone know my name. As long as people read it and go out and ENCOURAGE people to stop abusing drugs and alcohol.
A smart person once taught me that a person, group or organization can never force a person to quit abusing drugs and alcohol, although they can encourage them. A person can be forced to delay on abusing drugs and alcohol for a short period of time, but they will never quit. They need a lot of ENCOURAGEMENT.
My advice to all the commenters is to go out and ENCOURAGE people to quit. Don't give up, believe me, it's worth it. Also, encourage youth to quit. Treatment is not the only option for youth. Strangers are forcing them to quit. From my opinion of knowing teenage friends going to treatment, they come back to the village and continue abusing drugs and alcohol. I do want to let you know that the majority ot teenagers that abuse drugs and alcohol do want to quit. In a recent descussion with some of my friends, they were talking about how they wish cigeretes, weed, and alcohol was never made of discovered. This simply means they want to quit, but they are addicted. What they need is a lot of ENCOURAGEMENT...which is hard to find in the village. DO NOT GIVE UP ON THE YOUTH, if you do then your simply giving up on the future.
Thank you,
Jonathan M. Henzie
Jonathan im happy for what you are doing and dont give up
NATIVE PRIDE
and to all,
being native is learned
you cant be native you got to learn it
and i hope all the elders can teach this
your friend
-kelly norman james sweetsir-
0cents - YES!!! The chronic inebriates that "infest" downtown are indeed COCKROACHES. Thank you for putting that into perspective for the rest of us. I also would use the term "cockroaches" to define the chronic inebriates that infest our local establishments - the vast majority being military folk. Just because they have more money and can afford to drink on-premises does not mean that they are to be regarded as "Heroes" while AK natives who drink on the sidewalk are to be regarded as "vermin".
(This comment was removed by the Newsminer.com staff. Please see our User Agreement for further information.)
Post a comment
Commenting requires registration.