For example in A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, alcohol was a factor in everyone"s life. Most of Rayona"s family and friends participated in drinking. Rayona"s mother, Christine, is sick in the hospital because of drinking problems. In the hospital doctors tell her, "if she doesn"t stop slow down she"s going to shoot her liver" (Dorris 8). Alcohol in their society was, "So invigorating did the Indians find alcohol that they often referred to it as "milk" or better yet, "our father"s milk" (Unrau 16). .

             Since Native Americans did not produce alcohol, it was usually traded or sold to them by Americans. The Natives could get it with the greatest of ease. During the first Jefferson administration, policies were made to prevent Native Americans from obtaining their spirituous liquors. However, these policies could not stop the natives from acquiring alcohol. Traders continued to exchange alcohol for their exchange alcohol for their native goods and dealers continued to sell alcohol to the Indians. Native Americans continued to obtain these spirituous liquors although many acts and treaties were passed. Indian alcohol problems got so out of hand an act was passed in 1834. It was known as The Trade and Intercourse Act of 1834. This act stated that anyone who sold, exchanged, gave, or disposed of any spirituous liquor or wine to an Indian, in the Indian country, could be imprisoned up to two years. Even with this severe law people continued to sell and trade alcohol to Native Americans. One of the first alcohol dealers that was convicted was Samuel C. Roby. Samuel was found guilty in 1848 and fined one dollar plus costs. Another cases brought to court .

             for vending alcohol to Native Americans came in 1849. "The Potter case was no exception" (Unrau 60). The two lawbreakers were Mole Pettijohn and Simpson Vassar. This case was dismissed because important persons to the proceeding left for parts that were unknown.