Creating a Network beyond the Family: History of Alcohol and Disintoxication among the Algonquin
This article is based on two findings, established using ethnographic data compiled in Algonquin areas and corroborated by ethnological literature. On one hand, the Algonquin do not want their public image associated with drug abuse; on the other hand, the Algonquin identity is based on belonging to a community in which its members have certain rights and duties and are expected to be committed to the community. Studies of Amerindians, their villages and their urban networks are founded on the idea that communities find their legitimacy in sharing an ethos (value and cultural traits) as well as through family relationships between its members, which also serve as social bonds. The article seeks to show that taking charge of the problems which affect Algonquin communities has given rise to the emergence of a new social bond which sometimes questions the constraints required by the family. To do so, I present a historical vision of the origin of the problems, including the Algonquin’s points of view, and I explain how the various therapies available have enabled the system of social values and behavioural codes to be redefined.