Lakota alcoholism and suicide rates vastly exceed national averages

Evidence

According to Brave Heart-Jordan, despite 54 years of studies on the notorious social, economic, health, and legal problems of the Lakota, there have been few proposed solutions. Alcoholism, unemployment, suicide, accidental death, and homicide rates are still well above the national average. Indian Health Service statistics indicate that alcoholism death rates in the Aberdeen, South Dakota, area are seven times the national average and almost three times that of all Indian people. The suicide rate on one of the Lakota reservations is almost seven times the national average and generally is at least three times the suicide rate of all non-Indians in the state of South Dakota. — Winona LaDuke, All Our Relations, 745

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Ongoing minority status itself generates chronic psychological stress for reservation Indians. — Winona LaDuke, All Our Relations: Native Struggles for…, 475; Land allotment and dam flooding drive current Lakota social pathology — Winona LaDuke, All Our Relations: Native Struggles for…, 747