Carrying the prayers: Sacred, traditional tobacco use and commercial tobacco abuse among American Indian Youth in Wisconsin

American Indians (AI) use traditional tobacco, Nicotiana rustica, in ceremony and prayer. Until 1978 it was against the law for AI to practice their traditional religion. However, commercial tobacco abuse was legal. The documented higher AI prevalence and younger initiation ages for smoking may have been the results of the need for past generations to “hide in plain sight.” Our partnership formed to answer the need for culturally specific and appropriate data about youth tobacco use/abuse that differentiates between ceremonial tobacco use and commercial tobacco abuse. In this groundbreaking project, the Wisconsin Native American Tobacco Network partnered with the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center, the Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, Wisconsin schools and all Tribes in Wisconsin to create and conduct the first comprehensive Wisconsin Native Youth Tobacco Survey (WNYTS). The WNYTS, an anonymous, self-administered instrument, included several questions regarding ceremonial tobacco use. The WNYTS was conducted between September 2008 and January 2009, using an approximated census of 6-12 grade AI students representative of the 11 Indian communities in Wisconsin. Preliminary results show that 1,526 surveys were completed by AI students, representing 30% of enrolled students in that same demographic. Many AI students were taught to, and use, tobacco in their faith practices for a variety of reasons. By giving equal weight to American Indian voices, their historical and traditional knowledge, while utilizing the tools of today's scientific technology, we hope to empower traditional AI faith practices while ending the harm commercial tobacco causes AI people.