Harold Johnson, Fire Water

I met Harold Johnson at the former establishment called NORTEP. He unconventionally stood at the middle of us as he presented his information, which can be found in his book, Firewater. His story was very articulate and professional, he seemed to have a great grasp of the problems within our communities. He professed a knowledge that few people can present as he did. While he does not live on reserve, he mentioned the dismay that many of the First Nations people live in, on a regular basis. While this man does not live among the reserves, he has an intimate knowledge of the hardships that are faced on-reserve. What struck me the most was his proclamation that many drinking Indians did not fit the crime that many were convicted of, it was only because they were “drunk” at the time and they were usually the kindest and most well-behaved people. Johnson was very respectful of the class and myself. I tried taking to him for a bit but he seemed a bit too mindful of his presentation to discuss any real issue. I am sure he had many things to express, however, I did not get the impression that he wanted to. Otherwise, he was a nice guy.

His book can be purchased online: https://www.amazon.ca/Firewater-Alcohol-Killing-People-Yours/dp/0889774374/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525658460&sr=8-1&keywords=firewater+how+alcohol+is+killing+my+people+and+yours