Decolonizing Tobacco 

Nicely done, Anton. A lot of good teaching, presented in a very accessible manner. Miigwetch

I really enjoyed Anton's persepective! Miigwech! ᒪᓈᒋᐦᐃᑎᐎᓐ Manaaji'idiwin

Spectacular new information for me. Thanks.

"Respect all beings..." Miigwech.

Ohhh, G'chi miigwetch! I am so glad your video popped up in my recommended!! I started my return to mino-bimaadiziwin less than a year ago and heard that the best time to harvest miskwaabiimizh was right after the first snowfall. I naively assumed that was the ~only~ time to harvest. HAHA. The last few weeks have left me wondering how harvesting an entire years' worth of aapaakozigan for an entire community at once would be sustainable... especially with how delightfully red miskwaabiimizh has been lately... This makes much more sense.

Chi miigwetch for the lesson. I’d like to harvest some aapaakozigan, I was wondering what could be done with the outer bark? I’ve heard that it can be used for teas but just wanted to be sure to make the most use of what I harvest. Also, if I don’t have any aasemaa to offer for the initial harvest, what could I use? Miigwetch again.

Migwetch, I was trying to remember how to do this.. helped in teaching my kids.. but one question I have and maybe I missed it in the video when you take top bark off use the next layer I heard the next layer after that you can't use because not good for you... Is this true?

Boozhoo Anton! I'm Sarah, and I'm a white person from the Stillwater area. How have tobacco offerings been adapted for long-distance relationships? I'd like to be polite when asking an Ojibwe Elder for help identifying a few Ojibwe words they use in an interview at my work. (I've been unable to find accurate translations online, and it feels wrong to omit the words or publish my 'best guess'.) However, the interviewee lives four hours away. Do I mail them a tobacco tie, or burn it in his honor? I've done quite a bit of searching and haven't been able to figure out what the polite thing to do would be in that circumstance. Miigwech! P.S. I'd be interested to know Ojibwe cultural beliefs and practices around reconciliations and apologies. We all make mistakes, and it'd be great to know how to appropriately make amends when the time comes. Miigwech miinawaa (I'm hoping that translates to thanks again!)

Boozhoo Anton! I mentioned this practice to a Meskwaki elder named Alex Walker (I go to college in Iowa, although I am from Michigan) and he said that it was too late in the year to harvest it because you need to harvest "before the first thunder of the year". Is this practice the same for the Ojibwe tradition or is that just a Meskwaki thing? Miigwech!

Thank you for this. My question is whether or not I, as a white person, should do this. I have been in the position of needing to ask Anishinaabe and Dakota people questions for which an offering of tobacco was necessary. I used commercial tobacco which I understand to be something that is accepted but is not as weighty or meaningful as red willow tobacco. I live in rural East Central Minnesota, the red willow/osier grows all over the land here. I wish to respect these traditions to the fullest extent but I wish to avoid cultural appropriation. Thank you!