Lisa Odjig spins a web of success

SCORING BIG
BINGO WINS!
YOUTH CARE
Former NHL player
and coach, John Chabot,
inspires Aboriginal youth
and their parents to dream.
Band Council Resolution
makes community hall
smoke free for bingo
players and school kids.
Youth action team connects
commercial tobacco to
all the ways it harms
us and Mother Earth.
PLAY LIVE BE.
B R E A T H I N G L I F E I N TO OU R C O M M U N I T I E S
Lisa Odjig spins
a web of success
World champion hoop dancer talks about the road to
winning, staying in balance, and the fight for clean air.
Visit us at www.tobaccowise.com
M A R C H 2 011
CREDITS :
Project managers
Luciana Rodrigues and Yvonne Corbiere
Cancer Care Ontario
Project assistants
Rachel Zappia and Josee Seguin
Cancer Care Ontario
Writer and Editor – Debra Huron
All photography unless otherwise
credited by Fred Catroll
Working Group
Mark Peltier
Aboriginal Children’s Recreation Specialist
Noojmowin Teg Health Access Centre
Manitoulin Island, Ontario
Sam Crowe
High school student,
Lakehelen First Nation, Ontario
Sasha Sky
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Chris George
Elder, Aboriginal Tobacco Program
Oneida Nation of the Thames
Carolyn Doxtator
Health Promotions Coordinator
Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians
London, Ontario
Lisa Corbiere-Addison
Teacher
Manitoulin Island Secondary School
M’Chigeeng, Ontario
Kim Brunelle
Coordinator, Curriculum & Program
Development
Youth Advocacy Training Institute,
The Lung Association
Toronto, Ontario
Debbie Debassige
Director of School Services,
Kenjgewin Teg Educational Institute
Manitoulin Island, Ontario
Frederick Appah
Project Coordinator
Program Training and Consultation
Centre Cancer Care Ontario, Toronto
Lawrence Enosse
Program Manager for Youth Services,
Wikwemikong Health Centre Coach,
Team Ontario North Female Hockey
Manitoulin Island, Ontario
Creative Development and Design
EarthLore Communications
Reproduction of this magazine is permitted
provided the publication includes this
acknowledgement: Reproduced with permission
from the Aboriginal Tobacco Program. For more
information please visit www.tobaccowise.com
Visit www.smokershelpline.ca or call 1-877-513-5333
You can also contact your local Friendship Centre or public health unit for information and quit support.
TO OUR READERS
Table of
Contents
Remember the days when no one wore seatbelts? And while there still may be
TO OUR READERS.......................1
some rebels out there, wearing your seatbelt now has become second-nature.
SPINNING A WEB
OF SUCCESS...............................3
And it makes sense too. We all want to protect ourselves and especially our
families and children from unnecessary risk. This magazine is focused on exactly
that - protecting our communities, our children, our parents, our elders and
ourselves from second-hand smoke – an unnecessary risk to our health. How
Members of the
Chippewas of Nawash
community enjoy
smoke-free bingo.
Lisa Odjig talks about hoop
dancing, staying healthy and
what she’s up to now.
THE TALE OF TWO
do we do this? Well, first we start talking about it and working together.
RESERVES ..................................5
See how two communities took
action to protect their youth from
second-hand smoke.
This magazine features examples of two communities – Chippewas of Nawash
and Whitefish River First Nation who have passed band council resolutions and
bylaws for smoke-free spaces - including in the Bingo halls! We hope you will
LEARNING ABOUT HIS
ROOTS HELPS OTHERS
DO THE SAME ............................8
also enjoy Lisa Odjig’s and John Chabot’s stories on being healthy athletes.
We focus on sports and recreation because breathing second-hand smoke while
playing sports isn’t right. Recreation centres and arenas can be great places for
your community to start going smoke-free. And for communities who already have
smoke-free indoor spaces, it’s important to also think about outdoor spaces such
as the baseball diamond and Pow-Wow grounds.
In Ontario, the Play, Live, Be Tobacco-Free initiative began in 2008 and it inspired
this magazine. We wanted to bring this initiative to First Nations communities to
help people understand how to protect themselves from second-hand smoke.
We are hoping that this magazine will inspire you to take action in your community
or, if you’re not the leader-type, to support leaders who are taking action in this
issue. We recognize that there are many communities and people who are already
committed to smoke-free spaces and sports and recreation – unfortunately we
couldn’t put all of the stories into one magazine. On our website, you will find more
stories, plus tips and information about tobacco-free sports and recreation and
our new seed grant opportunity open to all Aboriginal communities in Ontario.
We invite you to visit us online to learn more or to share your story and contribute
Curious to know what
John Chabot has to say
about second-hand
smoke and hockey?
Go to page 8
John Chabot tells us about his
commitment to health and to
his community.
THE MEANING AND
VALUE OF TRADITIONAL
TOBACCO .................................10
Ever wonder what’s the difference is
between Traditional and commercial
tobacco? Elder Chris George sheds
some light.
YOUTH ARE LEARNING
HOW COMMERCIAL TOBACCO
HARMS MOTHER EARTH ...........12
Youth in M’Chigeeng First Nation are
raising awareness about what hurts
the environment.
A SMOKE-FREE
COMMUNITY ................................16
Check out what areas in your
community could be smoke-free
to helping us raise awareness.
THE NUMBERS GAME .................18
We truly hope that you will enjoy this magazine and be inspired. Before we sign
off, we want to thank our working group of First Nations community members
How much do you know
about tobacco?
and healthcare representatives from across Ontario. We couldn’t have done this
WHO BENEFITS? .........................19
without their advice and guidance.
Everyone benefits when sports and
recreation are smoke-free
All the best,
EXTRA!
Yvonne Corbiere
Manager
Aboriginal Tobacco Program
Cancer Care Ontario
Luciana Rodrigues
Health Promotion Specialist
Aboriginal Tobacco Program
Cancer Care Ontario
Want to take action in your
community? Check out page
15 for information on grants for
tobacco-wise sports and recreation.
The Gift of Sacred Tobacco
a 28-minute DVD from Enaahtig Healing
Lodge and Learning Centre
Victoria Harbour, Ontario (1/2 hour north of Barrie, ON)
In this new DVD, Elders offer teachings
and stories about tobacco use and
misuse. Youth also speak about their
struggles with commercial tobacco.
The DVD is perfect for showing at
community halls, health centres,
and youth gatherings.
To order The Gift of Sacred
Tobacco, contact:
Marilyn Groulx,
Program Manager
Enaahtig Healing Lodge
and Learning Centre
Phone: 705.534.3724 ext. 24
e-mail: [email protected]
Cost is $12
(includes shipping and handling)
visit : www.enaahtig.ca
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What does Enaahtig offer?
With 3 locations in Ontario, Enaahtig
Healing Lodge and Learning Centre
offers services to Aboriginal peoples:
• an Aboriginal residential smoking
cessation program (funded by
Health Canada)
• holistic healing and learning
based on the principles of
Aboriginal culture
• a two-week trauma recovery
program
• family and couples programs
• day programs such as crafting
circles, language classes,
traditional teachings, drummaking, seasonal and sweat lodge
ceremonies, fasting camps,
and juice fasting.
Spinning a web of success
one hoop at a time
DANCING IS A “TRUE BLESSING”
orld champion hoop dancer Lisa Odjig
can slip her 5 foot 9 inch body through
a single hoop like a slender thread
passing through the eye of a needle.
W
Then, before you know it, she has added 2 or
3 more hoops to arms and legs and she is
spinning around, one foot always off the
ground. The routine may last for 8 or 9 minutes
with Lisa’s foot touching the ground for the last
time at the exact moment the drummers strike
the last beat of the song.
Dancing is a “true blessing”
An Odawa/Ojibwe from Wikwemikong Unceded Indian
Reserve on Manitoulin Island, Lisa did not know she
would win two world championships and six other hoop
dancing titles across Canada and the United States.
Growing up, she could not predict that she would perform
twice for Queen Elizabeth II and twice for the Prime Minister
of Canada.
She had no notion she would ride on a float during the Calgary
Stampede’s parade and then dance in front of thousands of
people at the Stampede’s Grandstand show.
“It’s just so much fun and a true blessing,” Lisa says about
hoop dancing. The stamina, strength, and flexibility she needs
to be a winner means that “I need to be in balance and that
I have to pray and work hard to keep that balance.” ➲
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In 1994, Lisa knew she wanted to be the best
athlete she could. Six years later, her hard work paid
off when she won her first world championship.
“Winning World Champion hoop dancer was a
dream come true,” she says. It put her at the top of
the hoop dancing world.
Working as an artist
Before no smoking bans became common (not only
on reserves but also across Canada), Lisa found
herself in public places where people were smoking.
“I didn’t want to inhale the smoke, but there were
many times when people nearby were blowing
smoke into the air.”
She recalls one time when she was backstage
before an event. “I was sharing a dressing room
and doing some stretches to get ready to go on
stage, when another artist came into the room.
He was smoking heavily.”
Lisa was shocked that he was smoking inside the
building. “After a short while, I kindly asked him if
he could just wait a few minutes until I was done
performing. I mentioned that smoking was allowed
outside and that the smoke was making me cough.”
The person did not cooperate, saying instead,
“This is my problem.”
Lisa replied, “I’m sorry to hear that.” Inside, she was
thinking to herself—so please don’t make it mine;
I’m trying to breathe.
After the dance ended that night Lisa says, “I felt
upset over what had happened. It had been hard
to breathe on stage and I felt the tightness in my
throat from the second-hand smoke. Nothing else
was to blame.”
Smoking and athletes
“I don’t understand it,” Lisa says. “I know there
are athletes who smoke but wouldn’t that person
perform better if they didn’t smoke?”
Like every young person in today’s world, Lisa
had to decide whether to smoke cigarettes or
not. She admits she was tempted. “I knew it was
not good for my health, so I listened to an inner
voice and I said to myself I would not do it.
I blocked it out, really.” She said that growing up
in a healthy home with parents who had good
morals helped a lot.
With friends who smoke, Lisa says she “would
never tell someone what to do with their life.”
She has tried to encourage friends and those who
want to listen. “I’m interested in giving them
positive inspiration and support.”
Finding satisfaction today
In the spring of 2009, Lisa graduated from a
two-year Tourism and Travel program at Seneca
College of Applied Arts and Technology in
Toronto. She now works as a program associate
at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto.
Lisa says she works very hard at her job. She is
glad she has reached her goals not only in
sports but also in education.
“On some weekends in the summer, I like to go
to pow-wows,” she says. She has performed at
York University’s annual Aboriginal Days in
Toronto. In November 2010, she won first place
in the Women’s Fancy Shawl dance contest at
an event in Hamilton, ON.
For 2011, she plans to do a good job in her
workplace, stay healthy, and maintain balance
in all four aspects of life: body, mind, spirit and
feelings.
“I’m very thankful to have had the opportunity
to do the things I’ve done.”
“I know there are athletes who smoke
but wouldn’t that person perform better
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P L A Y, L I V E , B E .
if they didn’t smoke?”
LISA AND HOOP DANCING
Won her first world championship
in 2000 in Arizona. She was the first
woman to win the world championship.
• Won her second world championship
in 2003.
•
HAS PERFORMED AT :
• The Aboriginal Achievement Awards
• Canada Day on Parliament Hill
• Calgary Stampede Grandstand Shows
• Salt Lake City Winter Olympics
• Aboriginal Peoples Choice
Music Awards
GETTING TO KNOW LISA
Zodiac sign:
Sagittarius (the archer)
Favourite colour: Turquoise
Favourite healthy food:
Grapes and other fruits
Favourite junk food: Chocolate
Belongs to: Fisher clan
Hobbies: Listening to music,
working out, nature walks, light
sewing, and beading
Pets: dog named Sikski
(part Akita and part Husky)
Favourite quote: “I matter. You matter.
Native Pride! Live it. Love it.
Live life to its fullest.”
The Tale of
wo
eserves
T R
Tale #1: Band Resolution makes a bingo hall smoke free
Carleen Keeshig
in the community centre — I guess because of
the bingo game and bingo players who wanted
to smoke.”
It’s important to know three things about Carlene.
She is a non-smoker. Her office is on the upper
level of the community centre. As well, she once
held the job of Tobacco Strategy Coordinator for a
project to raise awareness on reserve about the
health impacts of smoking and second-hand
smoke. That short-term project was funded by the
Aboriginal Tobacco Program, Cancer Care Ontario.
As part of her job as Program Supervisor in the
recreation department, Carlene Keeshig must
prepare for and supervise a bingo game held
almost every Sunday afternoon at her reserve’s
community centre. The reserve is the Chippewas
of Nawash Unceded Indian Reserve on the southern end of the Bruce Peninsula.
Under the “G” for going smoke free
Between 75 and 130 adults attend the bingo game
each Sunday. From Monday to Thursday, children
from the reserve’s school use the same space for
physical education classes.
Sundays were bad days for Carlene when she first
worked in recreation. She would arrive at the community centre early in the morning. “I’d go home
at the end of the day smelling like a cigarette butt.”
“When I started in recreation three years ago,
I found out that even though smoking was banned
in all the other band buildings, it was still allowed
Carlene did not approach Council in a direct way to
ask for a smoking ban at the community centre. “I
did include notes about the need for a non-smoking
When she had that job, Carlene got the nickname
The Smoking Cop.
bingo in my reports to the Band Council,” she said.
In April 2008, she was surprised to learn that Council had passed BCR (band council resolution) #70.
The BCR banned smoking inside the community
centre. It was to go into effect right away.
“I remember that I went into a bit of a panic. I had
not had time to prepare the bingo players for this,”
says Carlene. “I was going to have to tell everyone
on Sunday that smoking was now banned.”
In fact, Carlene asked if the ban could be postponed
one week to give people a chance to get used to
the idea. The answer was “No.”
So how did she tell the bingo players they could no
longer smoke inside the building? “Very carefully…”
she laughs. ➲
“I’d go home at the end
of the day smelling like
a cigarette butt.”
P L A Y, L I V E , B E . |
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What happened next ?
Many of the people coming to bingo at Nawash
were non-native and non-resident. “Our bingo was
one of the last in the area where smoking was
allowed,” says Carlene.“They were coming here so
they could play bingo and smoke.”
Some of the bingo players stopped
coming to bingo. The bingo caller
quit. A group of non-residents set
up a petition for people to sign.
It fizzled out and was not
presented to the Band
Council. BCR #70 remained
in effect.
“We got to work washing down all the walls,”
says Carlene. “Blankets that were hanging on the
walls as decorations had to be taken down and
washed, too.”
People accept the smoking ban
After the complaints ended, “in reality, people have
not stopped coming to bingo,” says Carlene. Each
Sunday, the bingo game has two 10-minute breaks
so people can use the washroom or go outdoors to
smoke. Before the smoking ban, there was only
one 15-minute break.
“In fact quite a number of residents have come
around. I’ve heard them speaking in favour of the
no-smoking rule.”
Outdoor spaces may be next
The reserve’s baseball diamond is a place where
people of all ages gather during the summer. In
2010, Carlene helped to set up a T-ball program for
the youngest players and games up to the pee-wee
level for older kids.
“It would be a heck of a lot harder to make the ball
diamond smoke free,” says Carlene. She admits
she is not sure how to approach this issue.
“I know that some people just take the whole
non-smoking idea as a joke,” says Carlene. “But
it’s still here and I haven’t forgotten about it.”
Along with adult bingo players, school children
benefited most when the bingo hall went smoke
free. From her days as the Smoking Cop, Carlene
knows how important it is to protect children
from second-hand smoke. She may have a new
campaign to wage in 2011.
“…in reality, people have not stopped coming to bingo.”
The Tale oF Two Reserves
Tale #2: Whitefish River First Nation’s
smoking by-law aims to reduce health risks
When Rose Pitawanakwat looks around the Whitefish River
First Nation (FN), she sees that:
• all public places are non-smoking (the school, day care,
health centre, recreation centre, administration building,
Elders’ centre, fire hall, and water treatment plant),
• all Band-owned structures and vehicles are non-smoking,
• all private vehicles hired by the Band for Band use are
smoke-free, and
• traditional medicines (such as tobacco) may be used in public
places during a pipe ceremony or for smudging.
This has been the landscape of her reserve since September 2006.
That’s when the Chief and Council of Whitefish River FN acted to
protect people from second-hand smoke by passing by-law 2006.1.
“The health centre led the way,” says Rose. As the National Native
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program (NNADAP) worker in the health
centre, Rose worked closely with Cathy McGregor (receptionist
at the Health Centre) during the whole process. ➲
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Fact Box:
Rose Pitawanakwat
Second-hand smoke is the smoke from a burning cigarette, pipe
or cigar. It is also the smoke exhaled by a smoker. Kids who
breathe in second-hand smoke are more likely to suffer from
painful ear infections, asthma and other breathing problems,
bronchitis, croup and pneumonia. Each year, more than 1000
Canadians who don’t smoke themselves die from second-hand
smoke. No amount of second-hand smoke is safe.
Rose knew that a nearby reserve on Manitoulin
Island (Aundeck Omni Kaning) had a smoking
by-law in place.
As part of her role as an addiction worker, she
went to a workshop in Thunder Bay sponsored
by the Federal Tobacco Control Strategy. At this
event, she learned a lot about how reserves
could pass by-laws to protect people from
second-hand smoke.
“When I got back home, I did more research and
then I did a survey on the reserve,” Rose recalls.
The survey question was: Should the Whitefish
River First Nation have a smoking by-law?
Of those who answered, 8 out of 10 said “yes.”
Seed funding helped the process
Health Canada was offering grant money to help
reserves create smoking by-laws. Results of the
survey at Whitefish River had been positive, so
Rose applied for and received a $3,500 grant.
She then asked people in the community to be
part of a smoking by-law committee.
Eleanor Debassige
Quite a few of the committee members were
at the barbeque. “We had asked ourselves
the same questions that people were asking
at the barbeque, so we had ready answers.”
An elder with emphysema talked about the need
to have public places smoke-free, says Rose.
All who wanted to speak had a chance to do so.
The end of the process
Tammy Madahbee
Gathering information and support
them,” says Rose. “Some people thought it would
apply to their homes, but it did not. In the case
of our apartment building, it only applied to the
entrance foyer.”
The draft by-law had to be voted on by the
community in a referendum. It passed. Then,
it was sent to Indian and Northern Affairs to get
a number. When Chief and Council passed the
by-law on September 25, 2006, it became
effective that day.
The by-law includes a fine of $250.00 (or seven
days in jail) for anyone who smokes in a place
where smoking is banned. The same penalty
applies to the owner of a building who does
not enforce the by-law.
“We’ve had some problems with some no
smoking signs being removed from the outside
of buildings,” says Rose. “But we just make
new ones when the old ones disappear.”
Mabel McGregor
All of the health centre’s programs and services
became smoke-free about four years before
anyone thought of a by-law for the whole reserve.
Then, the health centre banned smoking in its
building. “We said: it’s because of small children
and the dangers of second-hand smoke.”
The money from the federal government helped
to pay for flyers and posters about the dangers of
second-hand smoke. After the committee had its
draft by-law, the grant money funded an outdoor
community barbeque for people to discuss it.
In June 2006, with a canoe and paddles as the
door prize, about 160 residents came to the
smoking by-law barbeque. Attendance was
about 40% of people living on the reserve.
Many questions and
some misunderstanding
At the barbeque, some people were angry
over the idea of a by-law.
“We learned that they had some misunderstandings about what the by-law would mean to
When asked who benefits from the by-law,
Rose has a clear answer. “I think that children
and Elders are the ones who benefit most.
I also think that having this by-law is a win-win
for everybody because the people who want
to quit smoking know that while they are in
a certain building, they can’t smoke.”
George Francis
Benefits to the community
“We held four working lunches with about 10 to
12 people at each meeting. We had a resource
person, an elder, a youth, and a nurse on the
committee. We looked at what other reserves
had done and started to draft the by-law.”
The work to get the by-law passed took only
about eight months. The major milestones in the
process included having a health centre that was
smoke-free, finding out how smoking by-laws
are passed, setting up a community survey and
a committee, building awareness around secondhand smoke, and making sure people had a
chance to have all their questions answered.
“I think it was an interesting process,” says Rose.
“ I think that children and Elders
are the ones who benefit most.”
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LEARNING ABOUT HIS ROOTS
HELPS OTHERS DO THE SAME
Before he travelled across North America as an NHL player or
moved to Europe to play hockey, John Chabot grew up in cities
across Canada.
“I spent a lot of my life being an urban Indian,” says John, now
a retired NHLer with aboriginal roots in Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg
in Quebec.
Because his father was in the Canadian Armed Forces, John’s
family moved around a lot before his dad took a job with the
federal government in Gatineau, Quebec (just across the river
from Ottawa).
Now, at age 47, John realizes that he has learned what
he knows about tobacco ceremonies and the use of traditional
tobacco since he retired from the NHL.
“By going up to communities in the north to work on hockey
programs, I’ve seen the traditional uses of tobacco compared
to the other uses (of commercial tobacco). And the difference
is striking.”
“Up in the Northwest Territories, when I go up there and
we go fishing, they’re always putting down the tobacco —
giving back to the land,” he says.
Going a long way thanks to a dream
When John was 20 and playing hockey in the Quebec Major
Junior Hockey League, his team won the league championship
and he was chosen as the Most Valuable Player.
“I remember when I played in Juniors, you’d come off the ice
and your sweater would smell of cigarette smoke,” he says.
At that time, fans were allowed to smoke in the stands.
John does not believe it’s possible to be an athlete and a
smoker. When it comes to hockey, the demands of the game
do not mix with the use of commercial tobacco.
“It’s a proven fact that smoking hinders your lung capacity.
If you look at the game now, where after a 45 or 50 second
complete 100 percent burst, and a recovery time that is 3, 2
Even just a few puffs of a cigarette ,
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PROMOTING LIFE-SKILLS
FOR ABORIGINAL YOUTH
To learn how your community can be
part of PLAY, contact:
Sheryl Hoshizaki, Deputy Director
Education and Aboriginal
Initiatives Right to Play Canada
416.203.0189
[email protected]
or only 1 times that (before you go back on the ice),
it’s important that you have your full abilities.”
because he decided they weren’t going to make him…
he was stubborn enough to keep on.”
As a coach both in the NHL (with the New York Islanders) and
at the Junior level, John knows that a healthy body will only
get a player so far. The mind plays a big role, too.
In the communities where John offers hockey camps, he says
he is often looking for just one or two kids who can be role
models for others.
“Every one of us, as an NHL player, had people tell us we were
not good enough. Sometimes, it was that we weren’t fast enough
—whatever—the message was that we weren’t going to make
it. But it’s the self-belief we had that got us where we are.”
“It takes a strong commitment, a strong kid. If you can get
one or two kids in a community who, with the support of their
parents, can stand up, then the ball will start to get rolling.
From there, it’s just a matter of time.”
Helping young people find their way
The role that parents play and the support they can give matter
a lot to John. “We’re all in this together. I believe in the power of
the collective. It’s not just the power of the individual. And First
Nations beliefs are a lot like that.”
Last winter, John began going to First Nations’ communities
in northern Ontario to offer 3-day sports programs. His work is
part of a program called PLAY, funded by Right to Play Canada
and Ontario’s Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs.
“We turn the rink into a place where the whole community
gets together,” he says with a laugh.
On any hockey team, he says, the team is only as good as
the worst player. “So you always want to make that weakest
player better.”
Photo : Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs
PLAY
John Chabot helped to get PLAY
started in 2009. It is a program
for Aboriginal youth in Ontario.
The goal is to improve the health,
self-esteem, and leadership skills
of youth through sports and play
activities.
John’s Hockey Career
Although John’s success came with hockey, he knows that
young people have many other dreams, too.
“You don’t have to aspire to be an athlete,” he says.
“Everybody has their own dreams.”
He stresses that “the work ethic to get there and the attention to
detail, and the self pride, and the not-giving-up-in-the-face-ofadversity are what will make you a success.”
Learning from his own children
During his career in the NHL, John scored 84 goals and had 228 assists.
He retired from hockey in 2001 at age 39.
Age 20
Chosen MVP when his Junior team won the league championship.
During his last year in Juniors, he was drafted to the
Montreal Canadiens.
Age 22
Traded to Pittsburgh Penguins. Played there for 3 seasons.
Age 25
Traded to Detroit Red Wings. Played there for 4 seasons.
Age 26
Moved to Europe and played there for 10 years. Was captain of
his team, the Frankfurt Lions, in Germany, for the last 4 years.
John and his wife Theresa have three children. Their son, Kyle,
is sandwiched between two sisters, Aubrey and Alexandra.
John’s Coaching Career
“I talked to my son the other day about the drug situation
when he was growing up,” says John.
Kyle is now 25 and a medical student in Montreal. “He told me
about how he was faced every day with saying no, day after
day. And he said it got to the point where he was saying no
2001–
2005
Coached at the Junior level with the Hull Olympiques
(now the Gatineau Olympiques) for four seasons.
2007–
2008
Hired as assistant coach for the New York Islanders
for two seasons.
a few dips of chew or a few breaths of second-hand smoke can affect your game.
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The meaning and value
of traditional tobacco
Elder Chris George is 53. He is Iroquois and lives
at the Oneida settlement, southwest of London Ontario.
As the Elder who advises the Aboriginal Tobacco Program (with
Cancer Care Ontario), Chris agreed to talk about traditional tobacco.
In your mind, what is the biggest difference between
commercial tobacco and traditional tobacco?
For myself, being from the tobacco belt in southern Ontario,
I’ve lived around the farms that are growing commercial tobacco.
I was always wondering why the non-native people were making
so many rows of tobacco and why it was 5 to 6 feet tall.
As I got older, I noticed they became larger—8 to 10 feet tall—
whereas the traditional Indian tobacco is two or three feet high.
This gives you an idea of the difference.
I guess the main difference is that they add chemicals to commercial
tobacco to make it bigger, more potent. I’ve read there are 4,000
chemicals in one cigarette and that the paper it is rolled in has more
than 400 chemicals in it. That’s why the paper burns so slowly and
right to the end.
When we are talking about cancer and things like that, we also
have to look at the filter itself. It’s made of fragments that are like
fibreglass and little bits of this go into the person’s throat. It cuts
into their throat.
Photo Credit – Eduardo Lima
Do you think the way traditional tobacco is used by First
Nations today is more for cultural or spiritual purposes?
It’s for cultural purposes. I say that because more of the younger
generation are interested in it. The traditional methods are coming
back, such as our teachings of who we are as a people.
Where can young people learn about traditional tobacco?
Elder Chris George
By sitting and meeting with Elders.
Sometimes, young people might feel that older ones don’t want to
spend time with them. But we do want to pass on the message that
there is hope. We want the next generation to pick up the knowledge
that we have been given.
Are you hopeful that young people will move away from
commercial tobacco and embrace traditional tobacco?
Yes, I am starting to see that, but there are some people that are
not ready. I’m being honest when I say this.
P10 |
P L A Y, L I V E , B E .
When the daughter of Sky
Woman died, her body lay
on the earth. From her body
grew the strawberries, corn,
and tobacco. We call these
plants the life givers.
from the “The Sacred Gift of Tobacco”
How can someone who is addicted to
commercial tobacco benefit from
traditional tobacco?
I guess the main way is by learning about their
culture. All that we have was given to us by
the Creator.
People have to want to be that changed person.
They have to work at it very slowly.
Have you been a smoker of commercial
tobacco during your life?
Yes. I quit when I turned 27. That’s when I got
on my healing path.
What would you say to someone who wants
to quit commercial tobacco?
The main thing is that it would be a big honour
to have that person become healthier for their
loved ones.
Among the 4 medicines, do you think
tobacco is more important than the other 3?
Does tobacco hold a special place?
As an Iroquois person, tobacco is our main
medicine. It is very dear to us because it is the
sacred medicine we use when we pray.
I know other tribes will put it in their pipes…
we burn it in our ceremonies, when we are asking the Creator for guidance. The smoke is going
up to the Creator. It brings us ska:na (peace).
I’ve also seen where you don’t have to burn it.
You can take it out of the pouch and lay it at the
foot of a tree, to help if a big storm is coming or
something like that.
We also use it for our young men when they go
to get their first deer. By having it ready to put
down when the deer dies, the man is laying
down tobacco for the deer allowing itself to die.
We recognize that we are being nourished by
that deer.
Is it okay for anyone who has learned
about sacred tobacco to get seeds and to
grow traditional tobacco, or should only
some people do this?
It would be good for a person, whether they are
younger or older. We have no age barrier. If the
person is knowledgeable, they can pass that on.
Everybody is a teacher. It’s not that the only
ones who can do it are Elders. The Elders
are doing their job. Everybody else can get
on board as well.
My older son got involved in planting traditional
tobacco. He met Elders in our community to
receive teachings. He always made time to
talk with our Elders.
What are the benefits of traditional tobacco
when it comes to health or curing?
We need it for our prayers. When we use it for
praying, we will see the results of what Western
society calls miracles.
We need to put trust in the Creator for everything
we do. I’ve seen it for myself. It’s very powerful.
And it all rests on how strongly the person believes.
P L A Y, L I V E , B E . |
P 11
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tobacco harm
You might have heard of her. In Ojibwe she is Shkakmi-Kwe.
Some people call her by an English name: Mother Earth.
At the M’Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island, a group of
young people with a focus on the environment, calls itself the
Love Shkakmi-Kwe Project.
Led by a 27-year old volunteer, Lynzii Taibossigai, the youth began
meeting in early 2008. In 2009, when they decided to focus on ways
to protect Mother Earth, the group chose to call itself the Youth
Action Team.
“Some adults say, ‘Oh, the planet is doomed,’ but I think young
people have a different attitude,” says Lynzii. “They are just at the start
of their lives and they are willing to take action right away. They’re not
so interested in talk.”
About 10 youth aged 12 to 29 attend the group’s meetings twice a
month. Pearl Bebamash is an elder who guides the group. She also
suggests other elders who may come to give special teachings,
such as on the use of traditional tobacco.
How fate struck Lynzii
“I used to be a smoker myself when I was at university,” says Lynzii.
To help with living costs, she had a part-time job as a porter at a
Sudbury hotel. “I got stuck with the New Year’s Eve shift in 2007,
and there was a theft in the hotel that night.”
Someone broke into the hotel’s security office just before midnight.
The only things stolen were Lynzii’s cigarettes and her lighter.
“I believe everything happens for a reason and I took the message to
heart,” she laughs. “I started 2008 with a new outlook on smoking.”
Mostly a social smoker, Lynzii had been thinking about quitting.
“The clincher for me was learning about the impact of commercial
tobacco on the environment. When I found out about the health
effects not just on my body but also on the environment, I was
ready to quit.”
A thief in the night gave her the extra bit of help she needed.
The harm to Shkakmi-Kwe
Lynzii knows quite a bit about the impacts of commercial tobacco on
the environment. (The drawing on the next page outlines those impacts.)
Lynzii Taibossigai
P 12 |
P L A Y, L I V E , B E .
“The main thing people need to know about commercial tobacco
is that no matter how you look at it, it affects the earth in negative
ways,” she says.
“But I also want to focus on the positive,” she
adds. This involves helping youth learn about
traditional tobacco because “it is one of our four
sacred medicines.”
Lynzii has had teachings on the use of traditional
tobacco but hopes an elder can come to share
the tobacco teachings with the youth action
group. “I’m still learning,” she says.
“With youth learning about it, I think the learning
needs to happen bit by bit, with each person
knowing what they need to know when they
are ready. Maybe one day, we’ll find out how
we can grow our own traditional tobacco.”
in the community think about the products they
use, the things they buy, and the bags they take
with them when they go shopping.
commercial tobacco are caught in the butt
and stay there. This includes 60 known cancercausing agents.”
“Mainly, we want to have an impact on adults,”
says Lynzii. “Sometimes, trying to convince your
own family can be a bit of an uphill battle. But
young people have the power to say ‘Hey mom,
take your own bags to the grocery store.’ Parents
will listen to what their children have to say.”
Animals can choke if they swallow a butt.
They may eat a butt, thinking it is food. This
can be a problem for land and water animals,
and for birds.
The litter bug
Having an impact on adults
All around the world, people throw cigarette
butts away with just the flick of two fingers.
It is the number one type of litter on the planet,
says Lynzii.
The youth action team has tended a community
garden, is strongly in favour of a recycling
program on their reserve, and is helping adults
“Most cigarette butts are made of cellulose
acetate—the same kind of plastic as the coating
on playing cards,” she adds. “The chemicals from
“We see people throwing butts into the water all
the time,” says Lynzii. Ducks and loons can swallow them, in the same way they used to swallow
lead sinkers and then die from lead poisoning.
(Lead sinkers are now banned in Canada).
“We’re all connected. We need to show our love
for all parts of Mother Earth,” says Lynzii.
SHKAKMI-KWE
I N O J I B W E M E A N S “M O T H E R E A R T H ”
“The main thing people need
to know about commercial
tobacco is that no matter how you look at it,
it affects the earth
in negative ways.”
P L A Y, L I V E , B E . |
P 13
ALL STAGES OF COMMERCIAL TOBACCO
HARM MOTHER EARTH AND HUMANS
Manufacturing
1 Trees die to make the paper
to roll the tobacco.
2 Water creates power for the
factories. Instead, this clean energy
could be used for other things.
Delivery
With more than 600 reserves in
Canada, millions of litres of fuel are
burned by trucks and airplanes to
get the product to stores.
Growing the plants
1 People could grow food instead
of tobacco.
2 Those who work in tobacco fields
suffer skin and lung problems (from
harvesting and curing the plant).
No commercial
tobacco anywhere
Consumption
1 People throw cigarette butts
into water and on the ground.
These butts litter the planet.
2 Commercial tobacco causes lung,
mouth, and throat cancer.
3 Second-hand smoke pollutes
the air and causes cancer.
Final resting place
It can take from 18 months to 15
years for a cigarette butt to biodegrade.
Birds, fish, and animals may choke
on the butts or take in the poison
they contain by eating them.
P 14 |
P L A Y, L I V E , B E .
GRANTS FOR TOBACCO-WISE
SPORTS AND RECREATION
What does tobacco-wise sport
and recreation mean?
1
It means that no one involved in any sport or recreation activity
will use any kind of commercial tobacco product. This applies to
• children or adults playing sports
• people using a public building for recreation
• volunteers
• referees
• coaches, and
• fans.
2
It means no one will smoke, snuff, dip, or chew commercial tobacco
while they are taking part in a sports or recreational activity.
The term tobacco-wise allows and respects the use of traditional tobacco.
(See The meaning and value of traditional tobacco on page 10 of this magazine.)
The Aboriginal Tobacco
Program of Cancer Care
Ontario works with Aboriginal
communities across Ontario
to prevent and reduce
commercial tobacco use.
Who can apply for a grant?
You can apply if you are an Ontario First Nation
• community
• recreation centre
• health centre, or
• sports team or organization.
How much grant money is available?
Grants of $500 to $3,000 are available if you want to set up,
promote, and enforce tobacco-wise policies, band council
resolutions (BCRs), or by-laws in your community.
Funding for the grants comes from the Aboriginal Tobacco
Program of Cancer Care Ontario.
Visit tobaccowise.com to learn more.
More and more First Nations are
supporting a smoke-free community.
*The term smoke-free means free of commercial
tobacco smoke. Other terms which can be used
are tobacco-free referring to all types of commercial
tobacco including chew and tobacco-wise which
stresses respect for traditional uses of tobacco.
Beach
Baseball Diamond
Band Office
Homes
Health Centre
Community Centre
Police Station
e
e
r
f
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k
o
m
S
A
Bingo Hall
Restaurant
Daycare
Playground
P 16 |
P L A Y, L I V E , B E .
Which of these places are
smoke-free in your community?
Camping Grounds
Pow Wow Grounds
School
Church
Cars
Community
Elder’s Centre
Arena Rink
Public Works
Youth Centre
P L A Y, L I V E , B E . |
P 17
THE NUMBERS GAME
Draw a line from a number to the text bubble that explains what the number means.
But watch out! There are 8 numbers on the page and only 5 numbers match the bubbles.
Check the answers on page 20.
37,000
The number of
chemicals in one puff
of secondhand smoke.
9
15
The number of sacred
medicine plants on
Turtle Island.
The number of weeks
that withdrawal from
cigarettes lasts.
The number of
Canadians who die
each year from using
commercial tobacco.
68
The number of years
it can take before
a cigarette butt
biodegrades.
4,000
1
P 18 |
P L A Y, L I V E , B E .
287
4
Who benefits when
sports and recreation are
smoke-free and tobacco-wise?
YOUTH
& CHILDREN
They can learn the link
between being an athlete and not
smoking. May help youth choose
not to smoke. May open the door
to learning more about
traditional tobacco.
ADULTS
& ELDERS
Their health will not
be harmed by second
-hand smoke.
SMOKERS
THE
ENVIRONMENT
Smoke-free indoor and
outdoor spaces provide
support for men, women, and
youth who want to quit.
Birds and animals will not
choke on cigarette butts or
eat the poisons they contain.
Indoor and outdoor air quality
will improve.
P L A Y, L I V E , B E . |
P 19
Answers to the numbers game (from page 18)
1 is the number of weeks that symptoms of withdrawal last for most people. You can help yourself cope by
knowing what to expect and finding other ways to deal with the cravings before you quit. Withdrawal is a sign
that your body is healing. If you want to learn more about quitting, call the Smokers’ Helpline at 1.877.513.5333.
4 is the number of sacred medicine plants. Along with tobacco, the others are sage, sweetgrass, and cedar.
15 years is how long it can take for cigarette butts to biodegrade. They are made of plastic. (Learn more by
reading Youth are learning how commercial tobacco harms the Mother on page 12)
4,000 chemicals go into the air with every puff of cigarette smoke. Children who are exposed to second-hand
smoke are more likely to cough and wheeze. They tend to have more ear infections and asthma, and are more
likely to become smokers. No amount of second-hand smoke is safe.
37,000 Canadians die each year from commercial tobacco use. Tobacco use is the single most important
cause of cancer. Among women, smoking causes about 90% of deaths from lung cancer. For men, it causes
about 80% of deaths from lung cancer.
Want more info?
Visit www.tobaccowise.com
P 20 |
•
Information on how to take action in your community
•
Seed grant opportunity information
•
Play, Live, Be Tobacco-Wise logos
•
Example of a smoke-free bylaw
•
And more…
P L A Y, L I V E , B E .
Phone Support
Online Program
Text Messaging
© Canadian Cancer Society 2010.
www.tobaccowise.com