Indian Horse By Richard Wagamese

Since the 18th century, the battle of substance abuse amongst Indigenous communities has been an issue with detrimental outcomes stemming from colonialism. In 1791, British colonization expanded and overpowered Canada, threatening the livelihood of Indigenous populations who had already settled in the nation. The cruel practice of assimilation by European settlers was then enforced on these minorities, resulting in institutional racism and discrimination, which inevitably introduced cultural alienation, intergenerational trauma, immoral treaties and acts, and more. Subsequently, Indigenous children are now at a higher risk of drug dependence as a cheap escape from said issues, creating the association of addiction. Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese,
This results in the stereotype of Indigenous people as lazy, impoverished, primitive, addicted, violent, and much more, which is not the case. With our inability to evolve and educate ourselves on such serious topics, we are constantly risking the chances of increasing the longevity of the challenges of alcoholism in Indigenous lives. As our nation prides itself so greatly on diversity and acceptance, it still needs to take action on the ongoing struggles of substance abuse associated with health problems. While Saul digs a deeper hole into his alcoholic life, he ends up being hospitalized due to seizures induced by the liquor, demonstrating the health impacts of the severe drinking issues amongst Indigenous communities. That's how I wound up in the hospital. The seizures hit me and I collapsed on a sidewalk in Winnipeg." The critical message in this passage is the reality of the battle against substance abuse. In severe cases, and a majority of Indigenous cases, a harmful amount of alcohol can have long-term effects on the mind and body, which all lead to other factors of decreased quality of