Kent wrote on Sep 3, 2007 11:01 PM:If the affected indians are getting casino money and buying drugs with it, I have no sympathy for them. While the rest of us are leading lives of quiet desperation, these casino indians are living the Life of Riley.

Jeff wrote on Sep 4, 2007 5:52 AM:When you give a person over $10,000 a month for sitting on his butt, they are going to find something to spend it on. I say the tribal leaders should conduct random drug tests on their people and cut anyone off who tests positive.

Link Between Gambling and Meth? wrote on Sep 4, 2007 6:56 AM:Do you people seriously think that gambling causes meth addiction? The Navajo Nation has a huge meth problem and they are dirt poor, with ZERO gambling (but gambling is coming). A couple of years ago they had a triple murder as a result of meth, and 80 year old grandmothers have been getting arrested for dealing. The cause of drug addiction is not the availability of drugs and money.

Nick wrote on Sep 4, 2007 8:55 AM:This is not news! We have had a meth problem on our local Reservations since the 80's. The casinos are just giving them money to fuel their addictions. I have seen it firsthand and have had a few friends die on the Res over the years. Drugs are bad, get it!

Billy wrote on Sep 4, 2007 8:59 AM:usually out of control drug crime is fuelled by poverty. Hopefully if someone is getting 10 grand a month they are doing somthing productive with that opurtunity.

To Jeff wrote on Sep 4, 2007 9:17 AM:That's what i'm talkin bout. I know a bunch of dudes from those rez's, and they are all kicking back getting high everyday. It's like they all won the lottery and don't know how to handle it.

Lisa wrote on Sep 4, 2007 12:07 PM:Once again the Poor Indians. They are alot better off than most and this is what they chose to do.

Passing The Buck wrote on Sep 4, 2007 12:10 PM:I'm sure disenrollment is already happening to those who abuse the wealth, including meth addicts, which means they'll end up on the public's tab. If the public cuts them off, it's considered inhumane. Sovereign Nation or capitalistic racket? You be the judge.

Hey Link wrote on Sep 4, 2007 12:23 PM:In case you don't understand the posts were talking about the money the Indians get from gambling. That is the link. Everyone in the tribe gets a portion thus most don't have to work or go to school. A good reason to open up casinos for the white man too. We need to legalize gambling, let casinos go up where they want based on zoning and tax them. We get tax money, the Indians have competition so they have to continue school and work. Problems solved!

I don't wrote on Sep 4, 2007 1:06 PM:believe all of the Indian people do drugs. I think it is the some of the younger generations experimenting like any other group of kids would if given the money and time. Too much too quick has destroyed many cultures and people. The fall from with-in has got to be discovered and resolved by the elders in the culture.

Native American wrote on Sep 4, 2007 1:16 PM:This is for the kid that commented on Jeffs remarks, so maybe you should stay away from all these so called Rez dudes you say you know, or maybe your kicking back with them doing the same thing !! Meth takes down all Races, rich or poor!!!I see it in the city everyday, boy im confused !!!Now these white meth monsters, what do i blame their use on, they don't have casinos HMMMM !!!!

Response to Native American wrote on Sep 4, 2007 2:16 PM:YOU GO!!! I AGREE 110%!!!! METH/DRUGS DO NOT CARE IF YOU ARE PINK, PUPLE, YELLOW OR BLUE!! NOR, DOES IT CARE WHAT YOUR ECONOMIC STATUS IS!!

Angela (A Drug Free Native American Woman) wrote on Sep 4, 2007 3:33 PM:Reading all these opinions just makes it obvious how ignorant people can be....Not all Indians are druggies, on my reservation alone, the percentage of high school graduates has gone up dramatically, and 85% of those graduates are furthering their educations and going to college. All races have their problems. Let me ask this to all you non-Indians; Has anyone in your family suffered from addiction,in particular meth addiction? It's easy to pinpoint reservations, but look in your own backyard before you judge....

Pablo wrote on Sep 4, 2007 3:46 PM:The whiteman government is spending billions trying to prevent marijuana production, a seed, some soil, water, and sun is all you need. Now those meth addicts need a few more ingredients, nothing natural. Why is it that the government isn't spending this money on meth eradication instead going after the marijuana users? $$$$

TO ANGRY NATIVES wrote on Sep 4, 2007 5:01 PM:I do know alot of peeps from SP,Rincon,Pala,PV and LJolla and if the NCT would allow me I would give names that I'm sure alot of people would recognize. I also know druggies from all races in our community, because I used to get high with them. All I said is that the some of the skins that I know that are getting paid are living it up, smokin and drinking, buying cars and wrecking them, then buying more and wrecking them also. And someone should pull their free play card.

I work for a doctor wrote on Sep 4, 2007 6:44 PM:in Escondido and we see patients from the Indian Reservations. Most that we see are overweight, have diabetes, high cholesterol, heart problems and drink and/or smoke. They are nice people, but I think they need to do more to change their lives for the better and to change the lives of their next generation. I am NOT saying all people from the Reservations have these health problems, but they are the only ones I see while working.

Psych RN wrote on Sep 4, 2007 6:47 PM:First their livers, now their neurotransmitters!

I work for a doctor wrote on Sep 4, 2007 6:49 PM:(me again). I also see what alot of these patients receive on a monthly basis (in their Indian Reservation profile for insurance) and if I got that kind of money for just being Indian and not having to work to earn it, I would take far better care of myself and go out and see the world! They could donate a portion of their income to improve Reservation schools and kids programs. At the end of the day, it's their money, they can do as they please with it.

Hey Angela wrote on Sep 4, 2007 8:40 PM:That's great to hear of your personal experiences, and your reservation should be congratulated. Now would you like to comment on the subject matter in the article like the rest of us? I believe it's referring to meth problems on Indian reservations, not their graduation rates and meth problems elsewhere. If you disagree with the findings, I'm sure Sifuentes will want to hear his info is skewed.

HOW DARE THESE PEOPLE! wrote on Sep 4, 2007 11:03 PM:WHAT I HAVE READ HURTS ME VERY MUCH. YEAH LOT OF NATIVES ARE ON METH BUT ITS HARD TO GET OFF AND TO BE CLEAN AND THEY BEEN ON DRUGS FOR YEARS BEFORE THEY STARTED TO GET MONEY FRM CASINOS AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DO WORK AND GET THE MONEY TOO AND ALL I HAVE TO SAY ALOT OF WHAT I READ SOUNDS LIKE YOUR JUST JEALOUS LOL THAT THEY DONT HAVE TO WORK!! HAHA

To "hey Angela" wrote on Sep 5, 2007 11:34 AM:Did you not notice that over half of the comments made are about how Indians are druggies. Nobody calls all whites or all mexicans or whatever other race you want to talk about all druggies....My point is, a number of the opinions made are stereotyping ALL Indians, and it is not right, and I am completely offended. Why not just say I know a mexicans who use meth, that must mean All of Escondido is on Meth. Or I know a couple of white people who use meth, that must mean all of Ramona is on meth....Lets not stereotype. I wasn't commenting on the article, I was commenting on the opinions made about the article....

To Kent wrote on Sep 5, 2007 2:11 PM:See what you started? Thanks for all the drama. These blogs are better than Jerry Springer...

To ' Hey Angela' wrote on Sep 6, 2007 2:39 AM:I agree 100 percent. Angela just doesn't get it. She's missing the point of the article.

old time dirty brush indian wrote on Sep 24, 2007 2:20 AM:Here- this for those of you clearly reading impaired, the article above says the following- "According to a federal study, meth use is more prevalent among American Indians than in some other ethnic groups. About 1.7 percent of American Indians had used meth in the last year,..." That was 1.7 percent, and a bunch of you have your tidy whities all up in a messy little knot, reaching for conclusions not supported by anyone or anything except your leaps of logic and imagination. I grew up on one of these Rez's, in the 70's and just finished a 25 year career as a fireman, and I can tell you without any doubt that there was waaaaayyyy more drugs, alcoholism, and lazy, wasted lives than there is now. It's not even close. This comment from above is how it was in Pala & Rincon when I was young- "smokin and drinking, buying cars and wrecking them, then buying more and wrecking them also..." There were dumb kids doing that back then, and apparently it still happens, but I'd bet ny next per cap check is happens less than it used to. The difference now is that the cars are newer. The tribes ARE spending huge $ on tribal infrastructure and general improvement projects before the left over money is distributed to individuals. We have more kids graduating from HS and continuing onto colleges and universities than ever before. My Tribe, and I believe most if not all REQUIRE members to be a HS graduate at minimum before they can receive any per capita. Finally, we are collectively the biggest employers in the area, and we offer jobs people can earn a real living on. And we donate MILLIONS of dollars every year to local charities. If I were you, I'd be more concerned that we are taking back our land with the money from gaming. While you're all concerned about the former "have-nots" suddenly having more than you, we are buying back the land with every pull of that 1 armed bandit.-

mike wrote on Sep 28, 2007 3:09 PM: I'm a 1/4 indian and 3/4 irish. That is not relivent.What is,is there is a big problem with meth.On the res and off. Lets pray that this problem will go away. I know for a fact that on my res,The old timers find out about a meth lab on our res.They take care of it and make surre the problem goes away.LOL

Jim wrote on Dec 17, 2007 7:21 PM:As our 'civilization' rapes and pollutes Mother Earth many of us have lost our connection to our Creator. This can only be redescovered and brought to maturity by each of us. Thus the greatest fight we have, the greatest battle we will ever fight is not eachother but ourselves. So cut the nonsense of blaming whites, Mexicans or Native Americans for ignorance of our birthright of love because no one has a market on stupidity. Further more our brothers and sister Native Americans have a rich spiritual history that can teach us all the way to PEACE! Currahee! BE PEACE! Jim

A Native American In High School wrote on Mar 11, 2008 2:40 PM:im a Native American (Non-gaming Indian) that lives on one of these reservation that has these problems. and the people that have these problems are good people that r trying to do right, These days we, Native Americans, are trying to recieve a higher education to help improve our lives (espically the non-gaming indians), these comments just jump into the conclusion that all Natives get checks and just sit on their butt all day, thats wrong, some Natives are hard workers that work long tiring hours, so DONT STEREOTYPE US, KENT we (Native Americans) have no sympathy to people like u, but its true that we need a program to help people get off their meth problem on every reservation, just pray and hope for the people who r addcited to meth and also pray to the creator to show the people to dont use this drug

Aadawin wrote on Jul 8, 2008 1:46 PM:I woke up October 11th, 1988 and decided it was over, the alcohol and rock cocaine. I have been sober since. And I have seen a lot of life's challenges take over lives that are so pure. Because of the ignorance and hatred of stereotyping, we have been denied existence for too long, time to take a stand and pray for our people, the Anishinaabek, the first good people. Megwetch.

aha wrote on Aug 16, 2008 10:42 PM:You know, there is right in all the comments. The comments all present themselves with concern. Sure there are drug problems in society and on reservation it's also a problem.

A big player in all this is that many Tribal Governments are not responding. Tribal Governments continue to give people who are drug addicts money to further their use and degrade their lives---very irresponsible on the part of Tribal Governments.

All people should be concerned about allowing governmental irresponsibility and the wasting of lives.

Tribal Governments want to present an image of having it together, however, behind the scenes their people are wasting away to drugs and alcohol. Shame on Tribal Governments for not being responsible and addressing the issues; rather government inaction has created a systemic problem of violence and drugs.
To all concerned thank you!! No one wants to see people waste their lives away!!