Evidence of tobacco cultivation in the Americas goes back more than 5,000 years. Columbus reportedly observed Natives smoking tobacco, and he was given dried leaves as a gift but he did not understand its significance. Other Europeans who followed Columbus recognized the medicinal and narcotic effects of tobacco and they exploited it world-wide. By the mid to late 1500’s, it was being cultivated throughout Europe.

Maybe it’s because of this cultural connection that American Indians use more tobacco than any other racial or ethnic group in North America. According to a 1998 report by the Surgeon General, 39.2% of American Indian and Alaskan Native adults smoked tobacco compared to the next highest group, African-Americans, at 26.5% (1994 and 1995 data). The report links tobacco use to heart disease, cancer, and stroke – all leading causes of death among Native People. It even goes so far as to cite the sovereign status of Indian Nations as a possible cause of epidemic tobacco use because there are no tribal laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors. Some tribes have used tax exempt status to sell cheap tobacco in Indian "Smoke Shops". There are even a few tribes getting into the cigarette-making business. This kind of activity does not go without criticism. When Midwest SOARRING decided to grow tobacco as one of the plants in our sacred plant Greenhouse project, there were several people who questioned our logic because of the current negative furor .

Tobacco is native to the Americas and is featured in the creation stories of several different tribes. It has the distinction of being the most sacred plant in many Indian cultures. There are six or seven species of tobacco that were grown by American Indians. Nicotiana tabacum and Nicotiana rustica were the two most common species. Varieties of tabacum are now grown commercially but it was rustica that was most sacred. Cherokees grew both species and they used different words to distinguish between them. Nicotiana rustica was the most prized and was commonly referred to as "old tobacco." I remember my great-grandfather grew both types of tobacco near his home on the banks of the Skillet Fork River. He made cigarettes and plugs for chewing out of the "Burley" (tabacum) but he rarely smoked the "old tobacco." He said it was too strong.

Nicotiana rustica, which typically reaches 2 – 4 feet, does not grow as tall as tabacum. The plant is an annual, which means it has to be seeded every year. Rustica has yellow or yellowish-green flowers and is covered with fine hairs. Several rounded seed capsules form at the top of the plant, which can be collected after they turn brown. Each capsule contains hundreds of tiny seeds.

We are not trying to rationalize tobacco use or hide anything behind a smokescreen. It is no secret that tobacco can be addictive if it is abused, and I want to stress that we are not promoting tobacco for habitual use but rather for its intended use as a sacred plant. It is critical to add that many, if not most, of the ill affects of tobacco can be linked to modern chemical additives. Like all plants, tobacco is a gift of the Creator and it must be treated with the appropriate respect. We have a responsibility to our ancestors and ourselves to see that we remember to use this great gift wisely.

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