Honoring traditional tobacco

Tobacco has been a sacred medicine long before the invention of commercial tobacco. Learn more about its origins and uses.

What is traditional tobacco?

Many Tribes across North America cherish tobacco as a sacred plant medicine.

Traditional tobacco includes tobacco plants and other natural materials that Tribal members prepare for ceremony, healing, prayer, and other cultural practices. Not all Tribes use tobacco in their traditions. For those that do, stories teach that the tobacco plant is a gift from the spirit world.

This gift helps guide the relationship between Indigenous people, the land, and all of creation. These teachings have been shared for generations and are still practiced today.

What teachings do you carry with you?

Keep tobacco sacred

Prayers up, tobacco down

“Don't let the stories burn the way the totem poles did. Pass them down, exactly as they were given to you, so we don't lose them, and so we don't make the same mistakes again.”

I grew up hearing “prayers up, tobacco down” without ever being taught what it truly meant, so I held onto it through memory instead: my great-grandfather's pipe, my grandmother's blanket, the stories told at every potlatch. Now I pass those same stories to my own children, exactly as they were given to me, so nothing gets lost the way our totem poles were.

This story is about: Traditional tobacco and stories carried through generations

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What do we mean when we say tobacco?

There are more than 70 types of tobacco plants that are native to Northern and Central America.

Most often, people are referring to one type called Nicotiana tabacum. This plant is commonly used to make commercial tobacco products. It is important to know the difference between traditional tobacco and commercial tobacco.

Traditional tobacco is not made or changed by the tobacco industry. It does not contain chemical additives.

Uses for traditional tobacco vary from Tribe to Tribe. It is often used in ceremonies and healing practices to support physical, spiritual, emotional, and community health. Tobacco may be offered to the Creator, or to a person/place as a sign of gratitude. Some Tribes teach the smoke from burning tobacco carries prayers into the spirit world.

A flowering tobacco plant with pink trumpet-shaped blooms standing above a field of broad green leaves.
Rows of green tobacco leaves hang from horizontal poles inside a wooden barn.

Traditional tobacco
vs. commercial tobacco

Traditional tobacco is usually prepared by hand and offered with care. It may be burned in a fire or smoked in a pipe, but the smoke is usually not inhaled. Tobacco may also be used as an ingredient in smokeless remedies including teas, salves, and poultices.

It is important to consult knowledge holders and Elders’ advice when using tobacco in mixtures – both smoking and smokeless.

Traditional / sacred tobacco

  • Sacred in many communities; can be used as medicine and for ceremony, prayer, healing, and cultural practices.
  • Teachings vary by Tribe, family, and community (and not all Tribes use tobacco).
  • Prepared by hand and used with intention—sometimes offered as a sign of respect or gratitude.
  • Smoke (if used) is usually not inhaled; may also be part of smokeless remedies (varies).
  • Guidance from Elders/knowledge holders matters most.

Commercial tobacco

  • Made by companies and sold for profit.
  • Includes chemicals/additives and is designed to be addictive.
  • 7,000 chemicals are made when commercial tobacco burns; 70+ of those chemicals are known to cause cancer.
  • Many of these chemicals are the same ones found in car exhaust, paint strippers, and batteries.

Keeping tobacco sacred is about protecting its purpose. Traditional tobacco is connected to prayer, offering, healing, and showing respect. Here are a few gentle ways to think about keeping tobacco sacred.

Use with intention.

  • If tobacco is used, it is often used for a reason, such as prayer, gratitude, or asking for guidance. In some teachings, tobacco may be placed in a fire during prayer. Traditional tobacco use does not always involve inhaling smoke.

Use with respect.

  • Some teachings include offering tobacco when welcoming guests, giving thanks, or asking someone to share wisdom or pray.

Use with community.

  • If you did not grow up with these teachings, that is okay. You can start with learning and listening, and you can ask questions when it feels right. If you have access to Elders, cultural teachers, or traditional medicine providers, their guidance matters most.

Protect tradition.

  • Sacred tobacco has been passed down for many generations and its traditional use keeps culture and community alive. Keeping tobacco sacred means keeping it separate from commercial tobacco use. It is okay to keep details of teachings and practices within your family or community.

Keeping tradition alive

Learn about the power of traditional tobacco
and reconnect with your community.