Leo Killsback, 21, Northern Cheyenne.

1. “Hang out with myself and find what I like to do. I don’t try to follow other people. I like to play basketball, beadwork, and just learn new things. It seems like all the time I’m pressured a lot by my peers to go out drinking ever since little school I think and I was always the one who never drank. I wasn’t afraid to say no and after awhile my friends didn’t care. I was just the guy that didn’t drink and sure I’d be chosen to be the designated driver, but I didn’t think too much of it and I didn’t think that I was not cool or anything like that. There’s all kinds of things to do besides drinking. On the rez, it’s kind of difficult, but there’s always something else that’s there that you probably never saw before. I’m talking to you young folks, you think all there is, is basketball and drinking. There’s a whole ‘nother world out there, another whole rez to explore, a whole culture that’s yours, that belongs to you, a whole language that belongs to you. Sometimes I remember when some of the peer pressure would be like “you’re not Indian unless you drink,” and that’s pretty stupid right there. That’s just downright stupid right there. I have a grandpa who never took a drink in his life. Yeah, I have relatives who did drink, but still, they grew out of it. They see what life is really all about. I think someone told me once, “smart people learn from their mistakes, smarter people learn from other’s mistakes.” You young people need to think, you shouldn’t try to do things wrong first, you should listen. As difficult as it may be, it’s worth it. I never took a drink in my life, I’ve never got drunk and I don’t feel any different than anyone who does or anyone who did before. It’s not like I feel any better or anything like that, it’s just the way I am. However people want to perceive me is, I don’t care. The main thing is, when you’re drinking you’re bound to get into trouble. It doesn’t matter what age. Of course if you’re underage you’re in trouble already, but it doesn’t matter what age if you’re drinking you’re going to get into trouble. It’s going to be financial; it’s going to be even life threatening, driving and stuff like that. Even with fights, people get stabbed all the time. The main thing is alcohol leads to danger and if you’re looking for trouble and if you’re looking to get into trouble, that’s where you go.
2. “Always remember there’s always another way to have fun. The pure way to have fun is probably the funnest way. You don’t need anything to give you confidence. I guess that’s what alcohol does. If you can’t find your own confidence, maybe you need to look towards other things for finding your identity.”