Is there a connection between AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and Handsome Lake, the famous spiritual leader of the Seneca tribe? The answer is: quite possibly. The Code of Handsome Lake tells the story of how Handsome Lake, a religious leader and prophet, was himself an alcoholic. In fact, he found himself near death from health-related conditions associated with alcoholism. It was then he had a vision – three visions to be precise. He also said he had been visited by the spirits of John the Baptist, as well as several of Jesus’ disciples.
These visions in 1799 led Handsome Lake to the realization of what was happening to him and his people. The visions saved Handsome Lake’s life. The white man’s “fire water” had taken hold of the Seneca and Iroquois tribes. It wasn’t only those two tribes; the fire water reached out to all the Native American tribes with its influence.
From the days when European settlers first landed, members of Native American tribes essentially had to find a way to co-exist with the foreigners who came and stayed. They traded furs and jewelry, among other items. They traded their land for things the “white man” could offer, such as guns (which made hunting easier but also killing), fabric, different kinds of food, and alcohol, just to name a few. Some of their land they sold to the settlers; some of their land the settlers took.
It was hard for the Native Americans as they began to lose their land . . . and their culture. The alcohol they consumed was a poison to them as they gradually sank into despair and hopelessness at their predicament. Handsome Lake’s visions taught that they should return to their traditional beliefs, which for a time seemed lost to them, while incorporating the good in the Christian beliefs the settlers also brought with them. With Handsome Lake’s guidance and teachings, the Iroquois and other Native American tribes began to rebound from their losses. Handsome Lake’s initiative taught a lesson about learning how to live with the realities, in the best way possible, of their situation.
The connection between AA and Handsome Lake is spiritual. AA began, in its earliest stages, with an assemblage of persons entitled, The Oxford Group. It was a Christian-affiliated association led by a Christian missionary, Dr. Frank Buchman. Some of the principles advocated were: 1) the need to share your “sin” or problem with a fellow citizen who had experienced the same problem; that sharing would be helping; 2) accepting your sin and making restitution for any wrongs committed; 3) having quiet time to listen for God’s guidance; and 4) surrender your past life to God’s will.
After a while, however, The Oxford Group started moving in a different direction, a political direction, even embracing Adolph Hitler.
In 1935, two men, Mr. William (Bill) Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith co-founded today’s AA because they found answers and the help they needed by looking for spiritual guidance. A friend of Bill Wilson’s, Mr. Ebby Thacher, a former drinking partner of Bill’s, became a member of The Oxford Group. When the group began to go astray of its original intended mission, Bill and Bob started their own program to help other alcoholics recover from the debilitating affects of the disease. The program gradually spread by word of mouth and in 2001 listed over two million members.
Both Handsome Lake and AA taught principles grounded in spirituality and religion. Look to God; look to a “higher” divine source as the foundation to build on to extract yourself from the evils of alcoholism.
