BY
KEITH LACEY
Herb Nabigon managed to beat down the "rascals" that were
ruining his life through alcoholism.
With a community effort that combines traditional native
healing with western medicine, Nabigon said he believes other
aboriginal people can defeat their demons and go on to lead
healthy, productive lives.
Nabigon knows what he speaks about. This is a man who almost
didn't make it to middle age, but managed to quit drinking and
become an educated man and respected native elder.
He has been teaching social work at Laurentian University for
the past 17 years.
Traditional native healing methods, such as sweat lodges and
herbal remedies, combined with proven western medicine, has
worked wonders in turning around many troubled lives ruined by
alcoholism, he said.
To kick off Drug Awareness Week in Greater Sudbury, Nov. 20 to
26, Nabigon told his story.
"I lived on skid row in Winnipeg for a long time...I lived that
lifestyle inside and out," he said. "When you haven't washed
for a month and you stink, no one wants you around."
Alcohol was  introduced to natives within the last 200
years and studies are still being conducted to this day to
determine why so many have such a hard time handling alcohol,
said Nabigon.
"Our body systems are not used to accommodating
alcohol...whereas for Europeans, it's been in their culture for
thousands of years," he said.
"Alcohol continues to destroy entire (aboriginal)
communities...it really is a sad situation."
Nabigon said he often visits inmates at the Sudbury District
Jail and it concerns him that more than 40 percent of of
inmates are aboriginal. Almost every one has great difficulties
with alcohol abuse.
"These people should be given treatment and not be locked up,"
said Nabigon.
The high level of alcoholism among Canada's aboriginal
population has led to an unprecedented level of serious cases
of diabetes, which is prematurely killing thousands each year,
said Nabigon.
The high sugar content in most alcoholic beverages has resulted
in a diabetes epidemic across the country in aboriginal
communities, he said.
Defeating the rascals doesn't happen overnight and must be
accomplished on an individual basis. Aboriginal people who want
help must be willing to seek out their native roots as well as
accept western medicine on their road to healing, said
Nabigon.
"You can't wave a magic wand and make all these problems
disappear," he said. "It takes time."
