Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-09-22
The Indian And The Liquor Question
By Stuart Hazlett

nothing compared to what the
white, black and yellow races did
in Seattle and other west coast
points for the first two or three
months, and then all settled down
to normalcy-the novelty wore off
and the same will apply to the In
dian. He will experience a wild
time for awhile eventually getting
back to normal. He can get it pro-
viding he has the price.
1 fail to see the logic or reasoning
whereby all the races under the
sun are given the privilege of using
liquors and the Indian is barred
simply because he is an Indian. In
other words, Congress and other
well intentioned people are trying
to instil among the Indians the idea
of an inferiority complex which is
contrary to all lines of reasoning.
Since writing the above, a thought
has struck me, Finland, where il
lfteracy has been reduced to the
minimum tried prohibition and
there too it proved a failure, a Gull
tured race. probably the most high
ly educated race or nation of mod
ern times, rejects prohibition and
for but one reason, it cannot be en-
forced as personal liberty is being
infringed upon The American In
dian like the educated Finn gets his
liquor despite all laws, regulations
and exhorbitant prices. Why make
of him hypocrit and a sneak in
order to get illegally what he
should obtain in an open and legal
manner? Our nation is extremely
cosmopolitan in structure, every
nation or race being represented
here and enjoying the benefits of
American citizenship but the only
sure American citizen, the Indian,
is barred from certain perquisites
of American citizenship A proud
race, our well intentioned friends
have placed the Indian in a status
lower than the Malay, Jap, Mexican
and other similar races.
Sometime back, news report
was circulated over the Associated
Press wires that the Indian was in
preparation, Is times more suscep-
tible to alcoholic influence than the
white man. Just how a conclusion
was arrived at no one knows but
it is so nonSenical as to be not
worthy of reply except to state
that many people (whites) have a
tendency to believe such fairy tales
as the sure facts are never given
them.
Another factor introduces itself
and is well worthy of consideration.
1t is a matter of economics. The In
dian, desiring liquor, often times
goes off the reservation to get it.
Besides getting his supply of liquid
entertainment, (and often times at
bootleg price) he invariably spends
the rest of his money in the vari-
GUS stores off the reservation. That
money is lost and never returns and
all to our detriment. Money that
should be kept at home, circulated,
passed from hand to hand and doing
us all some good, is irrevocably
lost.
And still another factor stares us
in the face. An Indian says to me,
when things get tough, being bar
red from liquor we buy and drink
anything, Canned heat, wood al
cohol etc. We konw we are being
poisoned but we can't help our
selves" How can any individual of
intelligence explain such a situa-
ton? And such a situation exists
throughout the breadth of the land
it is not local-it is nationwide
In 1887, the Yakima. Klamaths and
Flatheads were in Washington de-
handing light wines and beer and
one of their arguments advanced
was 1--WE are being poisoned by con-
Stunning cheap moonshine and SINH
liar decoctions and so it goes.
1 am not at loss to thank the
public for their quick and hearty
response to the article. To my sur
prise approximately IS per cent of
the messages of congratulations and
thanks were from members of the
white race and most of them were
from off the reservation, Tulsa, Ok
Ia, Albuquerque, N. Mex, Wash
ington D. c., being represented by
messages of congratulatory ma
ture. For all this, am thankful,
never realizing at the time that an
article in local paper would arouse
such interest.
ON VNTCUITT NArnHn