"I have known far too many otherwise good, decent, even gentle, Native people, who under the influence of alcohol have hurt others and destroyed themselves..."

Me too. I've known any number of people, both Native and White who did destructive things under the influence of alcohol that they would never have done if sober. Was the alcohol the sole cause of their behaviour? No. But it was the key that unlocked Pandora's box and let the demons out.

I knew two Native men when I was in University, and they were brothers, about 1 year apart in age. They were normally softspoken, kind, unaggressive, and they got along with everyone. When they drank, however, they would always end up getting in terrible fights, usually with each other, and you would see them the next day with black eyes and busted teeth, both feeling very foolish about their behaviour of the night before. They normally could not remember what they had been fighting about.

It's a real Jeckl and Hyde thing with some people and alcohol. There are people who drink just a little, to relax. I call that "social drinking". Then there are other people who drink a hell of a lot, fast, in order to get drunk and escape the pain or boredom of their normal reality. That's "binge" drinking. The binge drinkers are the ones who tend to lose control and do violent things.