Native and New and Still Welcome

Key takeaway

You walked into a meeting and wondered if the room had a place for you. It does. The only requirement is a desire to stop drinking, and newcomers are welcome regardless of race. A pamphlet is addressed to Native American members and contains some stories. You do not have to match a story, or explain yourself, before you sit down.

Last updated: Tue Oct 06 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

You walked in and did the count before you sat down. Who looks like you. Who does not. Under the count was a simpler hurt: is there a place in this room for me? Yes. You do not have to earn it by explaining yourself. You do not have to match the people already in the chairs.

The line is a desire to stop drinking. That is the only requirement for membership. The newcomer page says you are welcome regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, income, or profession. There are no dues or fees. You can sit and listen, or you can share. If your body is in trouble while you are asking this, call 911 if you are sick, confused, or cannot breathe. If you are in a mental health crisis, call or text 988.

A pamphlet is not a test

There is a pamphlet called A.A. for the Native North American. The catalog says it is addressed to Native American A.A. members, and that it contains some of their stories. You might want it later. You might see it on a literature table and feel a jolt, good or bad. Either way, you do not have to read those stories before you are allowed to stay. You do not have to sound like them. You do not owe the room a report.

If someone treats you like a lesson, you can refuse the class. You are a person who wants to stop drinking. That is the whole introduction the traditions ask for. You do not have to teach anyone about your family, your week at home, or the drive it took to get here. Curiosity from a stranger can wait. Your seat cannot.

One alcoholic sharing with another is the plain shape of this fellowship, and it has been that for more than 80 years. The share can be short. It can also be silence. Introducing yourself is not mandatory. If the chair asks whether anyone new wants to say a name, you can shake your head. What to expect is the practical version of a first hour, and it still applies to you. Nothing in it asks you to perform a background.

You decide what you say

Members talk about what drinking did, the actions they took, and how they live now. The purpose is experience, strength, and hope. If you share, you can stay inside that. If you do not share, you can listen. After the meeting, talk is optional. You can leave when the hour ends. You need not join a prayer.

Groups choose the format. Open meetings welcome anyone interested, and nonalcoholics may attend as observers. Closed meetings are for members, or for people with a drinking problem and a desire to stop drinking. Beginner meetings exist if you want a room aimed at people who just arrived. If this particular hour feels cold, another meeting is allowed. A cold hour is not a verdict on you.

Meetings are in person, online, or by phone. Online can be video on, video off, or dial-in. If being looked at is too much tonight, video off is a real way to be in the room. Online meetings are there for that. You can also come back in person when you want faces.

Belief is a separate fear some people carry into the same chair. You do not have to believe in God to be a member. Nobody here is going to write your spiritual life for you, and you do not have to borrow someone else's.

Tonight is a chair, not an explanation

aa.org is not a meeting finder. Local A.A. resources have the lists, and there is a pointer for online meetings. Use the meetings search and confirm the listing, because listings here are not verified. How to find a meeting can help if the first room was the wrong hour or the wrong feel.

NIDA says mutual-help groups such as A.A. are peer-led, not led by healthcare professionals, and not a substitute for treatment. A meeting is peer support. It is not detox. NIAAA says alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening when a person who drinks heavily over time stops suddenly. FindTreatment.gov lists programs. The SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) is free, confidential, and available 24/7 in English and Spanish.

If you need treatment, call (800) 653-9376, the call is free to you, treatment providers pay for the referral, the line is not an intergroup, and the line is not A.A., and it is not SMART Recovery.

Go back, or go to a different meeting, and sit down. You do not have to explain your way in. Desire to stop drinking is the place. It was already yours when you walked through the door.

Additional Resources

Sources cited on this page:

Common Questions

Is there a place for me if I am Native and new?

Yes. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. The newcomer page says you are welcome regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, income, or profession. You can sit and listen. There are no dues or fees. You do not have to explain your family or prove you fit the room before you take a chair. Introducing yourself is not mandatory. If you want to say nothing tonight, that is a full way to be there.

What is the pamphlet A.A. for the Native North American?

It is addressed to Native American A.A. members, and it also contains some of their stories. That is what the catalog says about it. You do not have to read the stories before you are welcome, and you do not have to sound like any of them. The pamphlet is there if you want it later. It is not an entrance exam. Nobody in the meeting is owed a report on who you are. You can leave the paper on the table and still belong.

Do I have to talk about my background?

No. You can pass. Introducing yourself is not mandatory, and after the meeting, talk is optional. If someone gets curious in a way that feels like a classroom, you do not have to teach them. Your week, your drinking, and your wish to stop are enough if you do choose to share. Members talk about what drinking did, what they did next, and how they live now. You decide how much of you is in that share.

What if the room feels like it was not built with me in mind?

You can still sit, and you can also try another meeting. Groups choose their own format. Meetings are in person, online, or by phone, and online can be video off if being seen is too much tonight. Beginner meetings exist. The welcome line does not change from room to room: a desire to stop drinking. If one hour feels cold, that hour is not the whole fellowship. You are allowed to look for a chair that is easier to stay in.

What if I am in crisis and also feel out of place?

Get care first. Call 911 if you are sick, confused, or cannot breathe. Call or text 988 if you are in a mental health crisis. NIAAA says alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening when a person who drinks heavily over time stops suddenly. NIDA says mutual-help groups such as A.A. are peer-led and not a substitute for treatment. A meeting is peer support, not detox. Feeling unseen is real, and it is not the same as a medical emergency. Handle the emergency, then come back to a chair.