Beer, hard liquor or wine: can Native Canadians drink without becoming drunk?
In principle, there is no reason why Native Canadians, like other peoples of the world, cannot drink alcohol in moderation, simply for pleasure. In a context where alcohol abuse is a notorious and widespread social and health problem among native people, the academic literature almost completely ignores other possible relations with alcohol. However, the facts and stories we collected from members of Algonquian communities in Quebec show, that the reality is much more intricate. The Algonquian culture of alcohol is more complex than it seems, both in terms of knowledge about various drinks and in the ways of drinking. We studied consumption patterns attached to the three main categories of alcohol: beer (commercial or home brewed), “hard liquor” (drinks with high percentages of alcohol) and wine (table wine or fortified wine). We found that native people can have a range of tastes, and that their choices are related to economic issues and accessibility of products. Public discourse about alcohol by the native community elite is strongly influenced by the ideology of Alcoholics Anonymous. An analysis of the data must therefore be framed by this political culture, in face of which individuals – drinkers or non-drinkers – position and define themselves socially. We give special attention to the emerging wine culture, its decorum, adoption or rejection. Our research opens avenues for understanding the evolution of codes governing social relations among native people, between themselves and others.