Share Your Stories
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Whether it's the loss of loved ones to commercial tobacco or the discovery of the power of sacred tobacco — we want you to share your experience.
Send us your story and we'll post it on our website. Your name will be withheld at your request for confidentiality.
Please e-mail your stories to tobaccowise@cancercare.on.ca.
The Aboriginal Tobacco Program (ATP) reserves the right to make editorial revisions to submissions and to contact the author for further clarification of content. ATP reserves the right to publish or not publish submissions. |
Aboriginal Youth Take Action to Promote Tobacco-Wise Sports and Recreation
“Don’t do it - you’ll get hooked!” is what Amy Waboose is telling her friends, family and her community about smoking and chewing tobacco. Amy, a grade 10 student from Whitefish River First Nation, is part of a youth group that is bringing Cancer Care Ontario’s (CCO) Tobacco Wise campaign to life. Together they raise awareness about the negative health effects of commercial tobacco use among First Nations communities. MORE |
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Chippewas of Nawash Community Centre and Bingo Hall go Smoke-Free!
On April 30th, 2008 the Chippewas of Nawash Band Council passed a resolution that made their Community Centre and bingo hall smoke-free. Carleen Keeshig, Recreation Director and Charlene Akiwenzie, Community Activator were interviewed to find out about the benefits and challenges of making this building smoke-free. MORE |
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by Bryton Wagoosh
Tobacco is very important to all people in the world. You could pray for good things to help you, like when I was 6 years old my elder told me good things about tobacco.I pray for my family who smoke.
I pray for them every day at night. Tobacco is very important in the Anishinabe culture; 'cause you put tobacco down when you are taking something from Mother Earth, like when you are hunting for Moose, Deer or anything that is on Mother Earth.
Like when my dad was in the hospital, I prayed for my dad when he had cancer. My mother and me would pray every day and we would put our tobacco down after visiting him. Tobacco is very important because we use it to pray for people who have passed away.
Tobacco is used for a sweatlodge and for fasting, as we put our tobacco down before we go into the sweat and on our fast.
Bryton is the Aboriginal youth male model in our Know the Difference poster. He has agreed to share his personal story of how cancer has affected his life.
by Diane R.
Boozhoo!
My name is "She Walks Traveling from the West Wind Sweetgrass Medicine Woman". I started smoking at a very early age to belong to a group. In 1999, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and was still smoking but shortly after that I quit smoking.
Being addicted to commercial tobacco and trying to quit is very difficult but fortunately I was able to quit by using traditional medicines and have been smoke free for over six years.
Knowing the difference between commercial and sacred tobacco means so much to me now. Growing up I did not know about our traditional teachings. Using it in a spiritual way such as putting tobacco down after taking something from Mother Earth or hunting, fishing, berry picking, picking medicine, or grandfathers for a sweat lodge.
I am proud to give the teachings to Aboriginal students and youth.
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