American Indian Community Tobacco Project (AICTP)

The American Indian Community Tobacco Project (AICTP) is funded by ClearWay Minnesota. The AICTP is a unique partnership between the University of Minnesota and the Twin Cities American Indian community. The partnership, co-led by Jean Forster of the University of Minnesota , John Poupart of the American Indian Policy Center and members of the Twin Cities American Indian community, seeks to gain insight on the attitudes and beliefs about tobacco use and misuse, community readiness to address tobacco misuse, and community and cultural strengths to reducing tobacco misuse. The project is modeled on community-based participatory research principles and reality-based research practices.

AICTP Background

It is well known that compared to other ethnic/racial groups, American Indians misuse tobacco earlier, at higher rates, and with more severe health consequences. Smoking rates among American Indians vary by geographic and cultural factors, but are highest in the Northern Plains area that includes Minnesota . According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 48% of Indian men and 40% of women in this area report current cigarette smoking (CDC, 2003b). The IHS (2002) indicates that 42% of pregnant women and 40% of diabetics in Minnesota misuse tobacco.

American Indians in Minnesota have disproportionately higher rates of health problems associated with tobacco misuse. In Minnesota four of the five leading causes of death among American Indians are related to tobacco misuse: cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and chronic lung disease (MDH, 2003).

Little is known about why tobacco misuse is so high among American Indians in this region. Likewise, little is known about effective strategies to prevent tobacco misuse among Indian people. Methodological and conceptual flaws limit the usefulness of most of the published research on American Indians. Research findings are reduced and taken out of context, until they bear little relationship to the lived reality of Indian people. Rarely are American Indians involved in planning, implementation and interpretation of research on their communities.

The AICTP partners came together in 2001 to begin to address these issues. The research is driven by the questions generated by Indian people, who also collect the information, and also help analyze, interpret and disseminate it in a way that will be useful to the urban Indian community. The AICTP intends to expand the knowledge base of and about the Twin Cities American Indian community regarding all types of tobacco use, and will provide the basis for developing an intervention strategy specific to the urban Indian community.

Community Events

Events to raise awareness -
In October 2004 the first Honor with Tobacco event was held at the Minneapolis American Indian Center. The event was the result of a planning group of several Twin Cities American Indian organizations (Division of Indian Work, Ginew Golden Eagles, Indian Health Board, Indigenous Peoples Task Force, MN Native American Council on Tobacco). Activities included: tobacco pouch making, traditional tobacco plants, kinnickinick demonstrations, elder storytelling, teen talking circles, cessation programs, a feast and an obstacle course. More than 250 people attended this event.

Events to share what we learn about tobacco use and misuse -
The Honor with Tobacco event will be hosted annually to raise awareness about tobacco use and misuse; to share new information as it is learned. This will also be done in partnerships with other Twin Cities American Indian organizations committed to raising the health of this community.

Traditional Tobbacco Use

American Indian traditions tell us to honor the Creator with the spiritual use of tobacco. We believe these traditions will help future generations to honor tobacco and resist tobacco misuse. Our traditions do not include the misuse of tobacco. Tobacco misuse is the recreational or habitual use of tobacco (cigarettes, chewing tobacco, cigars, pipes, and snuff).

Tobacco in our languages:

Ojibwe: asema
Dakota/Lakota: can-sa-sa
Ho-Chunk: da-nee

Traditional tobacco use:

• Smoked in a pipe
• Burned in a dish/shell for smudging
• Offered to other Indians as a sign of respect when asking someone to do something (share knowledge, prayer, sing a song, healing, ceremony).
• Put on the ground, buried, or wrapped in cloth and tied to a tree as an offering to the spirits of (water, plants, animals, ancestors or the Creator) during daily prayer, when harvesting food and medicine, during storms or to give honor to a namesake, clan, or sacred animal.

What is used for traditional use:

• Kinnickinnick (red willow bark with other plants and bark)
• Indian tobacco (plants grown for this purpose)
• Commercial tobacco (tobacco purchased from the store, e.g. pipe tobacco, cigarettes)

If you have questions about where to get or how to use tobacco, ask an elder.