Workshop examines effect of smoking on Aboriginal communities

In many Aboriginal communities, ritual tobacco is sacred, a source of spiritual purification. Commercial tobacco is profane, but also the source of hard cash. This is a cause of the ambivalence surrounding traditional versus commercial uses of tobacco that animated much of the discussion at the recent TEACH specialty course Tobacco Interventions with Aboriginal Peoples.

Drawing some 160 health providers from across Ontario, the two-day workshop/training examined social, political and clinical approaches to promoting culturally appropriate tobacco cessation strategies for Aboriginal communities. Jeff D’Hondt, Manager of CAMH Aboriginal Services, in his opening presentation, summed up the goals of the conference when he said, “We want to examine the broad context and health impact of tobacco use and misuse by Aboriginal peoples in Ontario.”

Senator Roland St. Germain, an Elder of the Métis Nation of Ontario, shared his wisdom and experiences in working with Métis youth around tobacco education.

While the sale of cigarettes and “smokeless” tobacco on some reserves is an economic incentive for a minority of business owners and workers, commercial tobacco inflicts great damage on Aboriginal communities’ health and spiritual wellness.  The split was characterized by one participant as: ‘Traditional Tobacco is a Healer – Commercial tobacco is a Killer’.

Presenters from CAMH’s TEACH Project (Training Enhancement in Applied Cessation Counselling and Health) and First Nations health programs from Southern and Northern Ontario made frequent use of culturally powerful symbols, reinforcing the Aboriginal spiritual connection to sacred tobacco. The session began and ended with Elder Vern Harper, Canada’s first Aboriginal Urban Elder and Spiritual Elder for CAMH, conducting a ritual of purification, or Smudging Ceremony. Other presenters invoked the holistic teachings of the Medicine Wheel, tobacco’s place as one of the Four Sacred Medicines along with sage, cedar and sweetgrass, and the Seven Teachings of the Grandfathers, all emphasizing the spiritual healing properties of traditional tobacco use. Senator Roland St. Germain, an Elder of the Métis Nation of Ontario, shared his wisdom and experiences in working with Métis youth around tobacco education.

Allan Pelletier, an Aboriginal Health Promotion Officer, demonstrates a teaching aid meant to illustrate the effects of smoking on a fetus to some of the 160 professionals from across Ontario at a workshop organized by CAMH on culturally appropriate tobacco cessation for Aboriginal people.

With dependence on commercial tobacco high among First Nations’ youth, this group came in for special attention as several presenters from northern communities outlined programs intended to reawaken respect for traditional uses of sacred tobacco. The focus on youth was highlighted with presentations by the Aboriginal Kid’s Club from Queen Mary School in Hamilton using colourful props to illustrate the medical hazards of smoking, including graphic models of various types of cancers caused by smoking.

Dr. Peter Selby, Clinical Director of the Addictions Program and Head of the Nicotine Dependence Clinic at CAMH, delivered a clinical perspective on the relationship between smoking and diabetes. He energized participants, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, to approach First Nations tobacco use with cultural sensitivity. “This course is the culmination of months of collaborative work with partners and colleagues from across the province, and reflects the complexity of diverse of Aboriginal cultures, approaches and perspectives on cessation.”

Members of the Aboriginal Kid’s Club from Queen Anne School in Hamilton give a spirited display of their school presentation warning against the use of commercial tobacco.

The workshop/training had an important impact on cultural awareness among participating health providers. As one workshop participant commented, “I have learned and experienced so much about the diversity of Aboriginal communities.” She concluded, “I feel more confident in approaching, responding to and journeying with our Aboriginal brothers and sisters.”

• Print
  Follow us on
  
  Share