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Tobacco 101
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Ceremonial Tobacco Use
There is an important diference between the traditional and non-traditional use of tobacco. One is respectful of First Nations customs and the other is dangerous and harmful.
For many First Nations people, tobacco has been used traditionally in ceremonies, rituals, and prayer for thousands of years. It is used for a variety of medicinal purposes and its' ceremonial use has powerful spiritual meaning. In the traditional sense, the most powerful way of communicating with the spirits is to smoke tobacco in a sacred pipe.
While the traditional use of tobacco is sacred, the recreational use of tobacco with its' high content of nicotine, is addictive and harmful. Recreational use of tobacco is described as smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco or snuff, smoking non-traditional tobacco in non-sacred pipes or smoking cigars.
First Nations Elders maintain that recreational tobacco use is disrespectful of the spiritual, medicinal, and traditional use of tobacco.