Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center
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Information for You and Your Community
The traditional tobacco used by American Indians differs from commercial tobacco in many ways.
Traditional tobacco (Nicotinana rustica):
- Is used for spiritual or ceremonial purposes
- Is often not smoked at all
- Comes from a different species than that used in commercial tobacco (Nicotinana tabacum)
- May be a mixture of several kinds of plants that may not actually contain tobacco at all.
Understanding the difference between traditional and commercial tobacco is important in creating a society and culture free from the harms of commercial tobacco.
Read our Great Lakes tobacco story to learn more about traditional and commercial tobacco and its past, present, and future.
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Videos for You and Your Community
Digital storytelling gives anyone the chance to share part of their story. By combining the art of storytelling with digital elements (such as video, music, and photos), people can tell a life story to viewers like you.
4:10 minutes – Kathy took on the task of developing a tobacco use policy for the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. By listening, talking, and taking action, an entire Tribe worked to create change and move its sovereign nation into the future as a healthy, smoke-free community.
3:19 minutes – Tori grew up around the use of commercial tobacco while being taught the ways of traditional tobacco. She explains that tobacco is a medicine that was gifted to us by the Creator, and it should be used as such. Tori prayers that her people find the strength inside them to fight this battle that lies ahead of them.
3:14 minutes – Stephanie began smoking in early adulthood to stop being teased by her friends. She was able to quit smoking completely when she started to understand that tobacco was a tool for prayer — not for fitting in. Understanding traditional teachings helped her use tobacco in a way that it was intended by the Creator’s message.
6:02 minutes – Brenda’s heart ached when she learned she was losing her friend Dave to small cell lung cancer. He believes smoking caused his cancer and says it’s not worth it. This news helped Brenda quit smoking and become certified as a Tobacco Treatment Specialist. She asks everyone to please stop smoking.
3:16 minutes – When she was 12 years old, Angie started smoking every day. She promised her dad and later her grandson that she would quit smoking. She broke both promises but kept trying to quit. She visited the clinic four times before finding a treatment that helped her to quit completely and keep her promises.
3:43 minutes – Nanette began smoking regularly at age 12. She has tried to quit but continues smoking to help with her weight. She explains how smoking has become embarrassing and costly. It not only costs money to buy cigarettes, tooth whitener, and wrinkle creams, but it also costs time. She says time is precious and she needs to stop wasting it.