Overview
The firewater myth is the disproven myth that those with indigenous American heritage (including Alaskan Native tribes) have a unique genetic vulnerability to alcohol and addiction. Critical scholarship argues that it arose as a way to deflect blame from the traumas caused by colonization and genocide that disrupted communities and their ways of life. Studies have failed to find evidence to support the idea that the populations of these communities have unique genetic predispositions that explain the elevated rates of substance use following European colonization. In fact, there’s evidence that suggests the myth becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy; those with tribal affiliations or indigenous heritage can end up believing that they’re genetically doomed to addiction and avoid seeking help.