Why the World Will Never Be Tobacco-Free: Reframing “Tobacco Control” Into a Traditional Tobacco Movement

What is it about?

Why does mainstream public health continue to fail tribal communities? This paper gives us a rare opportunity to hear directly from six experienced tribal advocates as to the how and why current tobacco control efforts have been so unsuccessful in tribal communities. During colonization, the indigenous tobacco plant, integral to our cultural strength, was perverted into a commercial product that over the past 500 years has addicted and killed millions of people across the globe. It causes deep pain that our sacred plant has been used in this way. Despite attempts to forcibly remove, then eliminate, then assimilate our tribal people, we have managed to hold on to language and values that are deeply unique to our way of life. This includes the use of traditional tobacco as a powerful medicine and means of prayer with our creator. Thus, we can never participate in campaigns such as “World No Tobacco Day” or “Tobacco-Free Kids”. We hope that this paper will raise awareness and provide concrete ideas for how our colleagues in public health and our tribal leadership can support our efforts to restore tradition and reduce the damage caused by addiction to commercial tobacco.

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