White civilization brought many changes to the Native American way of
life, among them horses, firearms, disease, and alcohol.  Indians had had
no previous exposure to alcohol, which made them particularly susceptible
to its effects.  Smugglers could exploit Indian alcohol abuse by providing
them with liquor; on the other hand, laws restricting Indian access to
alcohol infringed on their rights.  Pictured above is a notice in a tavern
window on the Sisseton Indian Reservation in 1939.  A 1851 treaty between
the United States and the Sisseton and Wahpeton Sioux tribes, like many
similar treaties, forbade the sale of liquor on Indian land.  Not until
1953 did Congress change these laws placing the rules governing alcohol
consumption under the jurisdiction o f state and individual tribal laws. 
Alcoholism continues to be a problem among Native Americans.