And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Please make your readership aware of this event. thank you. Lawrence Shorty NEWS RELEASE American Indians Are "Smoking Out" and Breaking the Bonds Non-Traditional Tobacco has on Native Ceremony! You are invited to a ceremonial tobacco giveaway!! During the Great American Smoke Out the Native Tobacco People will be offering as a "giveaway" its ceremonial tobacco so that our traditions do not have to be taught with manufactured or "commercial tobacco." Our ceremonial tobacco is grown for American Indian religious use. You will be able to = "giveaway" the manufactured product(s) you currently use for this ceremonial tobacco. You can provide the Elders with one of the sacred herbs of our ancient stories. Remember that tobacco is for ceremony. This event is only the beginning. We hope to replicate the giveaway around the country at least three (3) more times. Do you want to be a part of this and help your community gain access to our Grandfather Tobacco? We will donate 30 lbs of our = ceremonial leaf to each selected region. You've heard our reasons for the giveaway. What are yours? If you would like to participate in this season long event, please forward a letter of petition explaining why and how having ceremonial tobacco will benefit = your community. Please include how you intend to help raise awareness of your event. The Good: =B7 There are over 60 species of "tobacco", genus Nicotiana. =B7 Tobacco is considered a sacred herb when used in ceremony. =B7 Tobacco is used in making prayer and in offerings to people of distinction. The Bad: =B7 American Indians and Alaska Natives have the highest tobacco use rate = of all populations: 40% of all adults and 50% of all youth smoke. =B7 Lung cancer is the number 1 type of cancer for Native Americans. The Ugly: =B7 Manufactured tobacco products are used for both ceremony and = recreational use. =B7 Some Native smokers justify their recreational smoking by saying that = it is religious or culturally related. =B7 American Indian manufacturers directly target the Native American population. =B7 Non-native manufacturers support American Indian cultural events. =B7 Few people have access to ceremonially grown and prepared true = tobacco. Non-traditional tobacco, like manufactured cigarettes, at one time enabled our Native traditions to survive but are now making our people sick. Anti-tobacco advocates say that tobacco is a killer--but Native ceremonialists need it for prayer and ceremony. Help us rediscover our true tradition. For more information contact: Lawrence Shorty, (Dine/Mississippi Choctaw) Program Director NAT'OH, The Native Tobacco People (505) 262-2528 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] address: PO Box 40744, Albuquerque, NM 87196
