The unique connection between AA and Handsome Lake

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 Handsome Lake Code tells the story of how Handsome Lake, a religious leader and prophet, was an alcoholic. In fact, he was on the verge of death from health problems associated with alcoholism. It was then that he had a vision, three visions to be precise. He also said that he had been visited by the spirits of John the Baptist, as well as by several of Jesus’ disciples.

These visions in 1799 led Handsome Lake to realize what was happening to him and his people. The visions saved Handsome Lake’s life. The white man’s “fire water” had taken over the Seneca and Iroquois tribes. It wasn’t just those two tribes; the water of fire reached all the native american tribes with its influence.

From the days when European settlers first arrived, Native American tribesmen essentially had to find a way to co-exist with 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 weapons (which made hunting but also killing easier), cloth, different types of food, and alcohol, just to name a few. Some of their land was sold to settlers; part of their land the settlers took.

It was hard for the Native Americans when they started losing their land. . . and his culture. The alcohol they consumed was poison to them as they gradually sank into despair and hopelessness over their situation. The visions of Handsome Lake taught them to return to their traditional beliefs, which for a time seemed lost to them, while incorporating the good of the Christian beliefs that the colonists also brought with them. With the guidance and teachings of Handsome Lake, the Iroquois and other Native American tribes began to recover from their losses. The Handsome Lake initiative taught a lesson about learning to live with the realities, in the best possible way, of your situation.

The connection between AA and Handsome Lake is spiritual. AA began, in its earliest stages, with an assembly of people entitled The Oxford Group. It was a Christian affiliated association run by a Christian missionary, Dr. Frank Buchman. Some of the principles advocated were: 1) the need to share their “sin” or problem with a fellow citizen who had experienced the same problem; that sharing would be useful; 2) accept their sin and make restitution for any wrongdoing; 3) have quiet time to listen to God’s guidance; and 4) surrender your past life to the will of God.

However, after a while, The Oxford Group began to move 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 the answers and help they needed by seeking spiritual guidance. A friend of Bill Wilson, Mr. Ebby Thacher, Bill’s former drinking partner, became a member of The Oxford Group. When the group began to drift from its original mission, Bill and Bob started their own program to help other alcoholics recover from the debilitating effects of the disease. The program gradually spread by word of mouth, and by 2001 it had more than two million members.

Both Handsome Lake and AA taught principles based on spirituality and religion. Look to God; seek a divine “higher” source as the foundation upon which to build to draw yourself out of the evils of alcoholism.