In part 2 of our series on Sacred Tobacco, we’ll talk about “Tradition versus Addiction” for American Indian tribes in Minnesota.

There are 11 federally recognized tribes in Minnesota, comprised of seven Ojibwe federally recognized reservations, and four Dakota communities,  all with their own sovereign governments: Bois Forte, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, Leech Lake, Lower Sioux, Mille Lacs, Prairie Island, Red Lake, Shakopee Mdewakanton, Upper Sioux, and White Earth. 

Ojibwe and Dakota people in Minnesota have tobacco traditions that were passed down for generations, for centuries before the arrival of Europeans. Using Native tobacco in a sacred manner is not a health risk. Teaching youth about their power and spirituality allows them to see tobacco differently, as a protective factor against harmful behaviors.

We had the honor to sit down with Sharon Day and Suzanne Nash from the Indigenous People’s Task Force to talk about sacred tobacco traditions that were passed down to them as Ojibwe people, and how they are sharing these practices across generations in their community.