This year’s National Aboriginal Day celebrations showcased the cultural practices of local First Nations, Metis and Inuit groups
UNBC’s Health Services hosted a booth demonstrating the traditional use of tobacco by indigenous people
“We’ve never actually smoked tobacco – it’s what we use when we’re picking our medicines. There’s absolutely no chemicals. The nicotine component is a lot less because traditional tobacco was never smoked.” – Lynette LaFontaine, Registered Nurse
For indigenous people, tobacco has a spiritual purpose in healing and cleansing rituals
It is a plant to be respected and consumed only for specific purposes