Survival Strategies of Chippewa Drinkers in Minneapolis

Subsistence and social strategies of Chippeva men in Minneapolis, self‐defined as “drinkers”, are described in an attempt to view behaviors generally classified as “social problem behaviors” within their sociocultural context. A number of characteristics of their urban lifestyle are shared with the larger Indian population as well as with other non‐Indian poor, and it is argued that alcohol‐related problems are part of but not necessarily determinative of the over‐all adaptive patterns that bring individuals into repeated contact with public institutions and rehabilitative programs.