In a lapse of judgement, the result of frustration with a local newspaper’s continued perpetuation of a claimed “serious” drug problem among tribal members on the Isabella Reservation, I emailed the editor, which I now regret.

However, I would like to see data supporting drug arrests and convictions of Native Americans in District 1 (and comparisons extending to the surrounding city and county), which supposedly exceed those of caucasion or other races, before I believe this continued misconception. The stereotype of the alcoholic and/or drug-addicted Indian must end.

In this community, home of a local university for instance, there were over 100 incidents involving minors-in-possession of alcohol in one weekend. Never on the reservation has there ever been an incident for comparison. How often do you read about the numerous drunken underage students on any given weekend, or see any particular race blamed for the “drug problem” on campus?

On the very day this same newspaper boldly announced the downfall of a well-regarded (by the tribal membership) council member in it’s headline, degrading graffiti also appeared in an employee-only area of my tribe’s casino referring to tribal members as “junkie’s.” It took days before the graffiti was removed. But the thought that one of my co-workers actually feels this badly about us, and not knowing who, is more disturbing.

Why are they working for us if they dislike us enough to deface and vandalize our property? How miserable is it to work for someone you hate? It’s typical when people bash their employer, it’s racist when they attack and generalize us.

It’s a coward who degrades anyone anonymously, in-print, at their place of work, or anywhere for that matter.