Acculturation, Alcoholism and Indian Style Alcoholics Anonymous,
Jilek-Aall
L., Journal
of Studies on Alcohol, Suppl. 9, 143-158, 1981
“Indian
peoples Of the Northwest Coast of North America,
including the Coast Salish living in Southern British Columbia and
in the State of Washington, did not know of alcoholic beverages
before contact with Western man. When the first explorers appeared at
the end of the 18th century, they did not want to expose the Indians
to alcohol and offered them only tea and coffee to drink, using
muskets, ammunition, blankets, iron and copper for barter. But once
it became known that a lucrative fur trade was awaiting adventurers
along the western coast of North America, exploitation of the Indians
by whisky traders could not be prevented. When fur traders and
settlers reached the coast overland in the early 19th century, the
Indians were already demanding alcohol in trade for their goods.
Knowing the "miraculous" effect of "firewater,"
they would hardly accept anything else and newcomers had to follow
suit.”
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