The Happiest State is... (Wasilla, Metlakatla: school, live in, education)

[Metlakatla]

Honestly, after the last time I went to the Moose Dropping festival in Talkeetna, I completely fail to see how white people in Alaska could possibly be happy. So many drunks and drugged out people there....almost all white. Maybe the university should do a study.

Last I heard, the festival isn't even happening anymore because people couldn't control their addictions and basically trashed the town.

[warptman]

Originally Posted by attrapereves

You are denying that a large percentage of native Alaskans (no, this doesn't mean every single one) suffer from drug and alcohol abuse?

What are you getting at with your one sided internet search?
I see many happy people from my town and all 56 surrounding villages that my hub town serves. I see people enjoying life by gathering food from the land, rivers, and oceans. I see people going back to their roots by running dog teams and racing once again. I see happy people gathering for both sad and happy events in the communities. I see my people reaching out to each others when a death comes to the families, this includes helping others when in need.

I see you going to Walmart and target getting your processed food...

[riceme]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Seriously, the POS needs to stay away. He sent me some rambling message a few days ago about how his graduate studies gave him some sort of carte blanche to make blanket judgements about a place he's never seen and a culture he knows nothing about.

"You must spread some reputation around..."

I wish I could rep you and warpt 20 times for your responses to this idiot.

[riceme]

Originally Posted by warptman

Everyone knows here in my "village" that a majority of the dealers here are "Caucasians." They have no care who or what they sell and how it hurts everyone.

Have you ever been to Alaska?

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to warptman again."

Still no answer that I have seen on whether this person knows or cares that the majority of dealers are Caucasians. I would sure like to see a response from The Wise One on that.

[Metlakatla]

But...he's been to the res in South Dakota and knows better than us...

Riceme, you're welcome to hit me up on FB if you've do the social media thing. I posted The Wise One's private message on Warpt's page (sorry Warpt). He was going on about getting the "evil eye" from Natives in SD and how they are beyond helping themselves.

https://www.facebook.com/wild.fish.1

I don't do much on my page but rant and rave about the Palien and post stuff about salmon and bears.

[riceme]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

But...he's been to the res in South Dakota and knows better than us...

Riceme, you're welcome to hit me up on FB if you've do the social media thing. I posted The Wise One's private message on Warpt's page (sorry Warpt). He was going on about getting the "evil eye" from Natives in SD and how they are beyond helping themselves.

https://www.facebook.com/wild.fish.1

I don't do much on my page but rant and rave about the Palien and post stuff about salmon and bears.

Good deal, thanks... friend request sent.

I look forward to reading The Wise One's PM... cos you know, I am a glutton for punishment. Maybe people give him the evil eye because he's a racist. Or maybe because he's an *******. Or maybe because he's a racist *******.

[dfjunior002]

I wonder if the guy talking about drug and alcohol abuse being out of control with the Natives is more from the stereotypical view of the drunken Indian stumbling from the bar back to the reservation. I have met many from reservations across American (none from Alaska though) and sure they have issues but so does you local small town if you ever truly notice it. Most of the individuals from the reservations deplored the use of alcohol and drugs and wanted zero in the ways of handouts and worked hard to make a good life for themselves and create loving families. I think with many things media coverage and stereotypes sometimes get mistaken for fact.

[War Beagle]

Originally Posted by dfjunior002

I wonder if the guy talking about drug and alcohol abuse being out of control with the Natives is more from the stereotypical view of the drunken Indian stumbling from the bar back to the reservation. I have met many from reservations across American (none from Alaska though) and sure they have issues but so does you local small town if you ever truly notice it.

Yep and not just small towns. Look at all the drug use and binge drinking that occurs in cities with the trendy 20-somethings. The media doesn't worry about that because they are part of that scene or, at the very least, they can relate to it. The average lazy reporter from NYC or LA isn't even going to attempt to try and understand the cultural values of rural villages that have economies that might be dependent on subsistence hunting or fishing.

[attrapereves]

Riceme, the majority of dealers are caucasian because in general, people love taking advantage of those weaker than them. Abusers are easy to take advantage of because they are addicted. Then again, we aren't talking about dealers.

I don't recall saying anything racist. If I say that white people use crystal meth more than black people (which is true), that's not racist. But if I say that Native Alaskans abuse alcohol more than other groups in Alaska, that's racist. I love when people play the "racism" card to denounce facts.

I'm sure there are a million reasons as to why natives abuse alcohol at a higher rate than others. Poverty, lack of employment, trying to manage Western values/culture and traditional values/culture.

Anywho... this will be my last post in this thread. Just know that when you throw insults, it pretty much shows that your argument is fueled by personal feelings and not facts. It's no different than a 2nd grader calling someone a "big doo doo head".

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by dfjunior002

I wonder if the guy talking about drug and alcohol abuse being out of control with the Natives is more from the stereotypical view of the drunken Indian stumbling from the bar back to the reservation. I have met many from reservations across American (none from Alaska though) and sure they have issues but so does you local small town if you ever truly notice it. Most of the individuals from the reservations deplored the use of alcohol and drugs and wanted zero in the ways of handouts and worked hard to make a good life for themselves and create loving families. I think with many things media coverage and stereotypes sometimes get mistaken for fact.

There aren't any reservations in Alaska.

The Wise One spent some time at one of the poorest reservations in the -48 and therefore considers himself an expert. The Natives there gave him the "evil eye," and, according to him, were living hopeless lives. Because of what "he saw firsthand" and because of his Tier 3 education, he thinks that makes him an expert on all things Alaskan.

Drug and alcohol use is rampant in small towns across the country, and no one's denying that it exists in Alaska; that's not exactly what this is about. Alcohol use is just as high among whites, if not higher, in some of Alaska's communities.

This guy is an excellent example of why parents should look very closely at who's teaching their children.