Many critics of United States government operated
boarding schools for American Indians have asserted that the
boarding school experience has lasting deleterious effects
on personality development. Specifically, it has been
suggested that a boarding school education is likely to lead
to problems with alcohol in adulthood. To examine that
assertion, data from interviews with over 1000 Navajos are
analyzed concerning schooling, conduct disorder and the
history of alcohol use. Consistent with data on the U.S.
population generally, Navajo high school dropouts reported
greater problems with alcohol than did graduates. Contrary
to expectations, Navajos with a history of alcohol
dependency were no more likely to have attended boarding
schools than those who did not report patterns of alcohol
dependency.