Tobacco Gifting Protocols
Tobacco Gifting Protocols
Tobacco in its original form has both honour and purpose. Ceremonial tobacco represents:
Learn more about how our tobacco is manufactured here.
Gifting Tobacco
Tobacco has been a fundamental part of Indigenous culture for thousands of years, and it is through the gift of tobacco that ritual, ceremony, and prayer is used to connect with Creator, the ancestors, and the spirit world. Traditionally, tobacco was a gift that was given to Indigenous people by the Creator and has a spiritual place within the Indigenous community. It has been used in ceremony for thousands of years.
Today, ceremonial tobacco is an offering used in conflict resolution. An individual presents the tobacco as a request for assistance. The Elder accepts the tobacco and uses it in ceremony and prays for the person who made the offering. When the tobacco is burned the smoke rises, which provides the link to all the spirits beyond the sky. Through this ceremony, the burden of the conflict is released, and new doors open.
Our supply of organically produced tobacco links the past with the future, and the broader community with Indigenous peoples. Through education and support, we have played a part in thousands of people seeking help and showing respect through the gifting of ceremonial tobacco.
At Imagination, we blend Indigenous ways of knowing and being, and traditional practices in everything we do, to capture the imagination of those we inspire and service. And while we have deeps roots to the past, we embrace our present and future, especially as a community of all peoples, and hope to inspire our customers to do the same.
How to Gift Tobacco
Tobacco can be gifted on its own or with another gift. Tobacco is one of the four sacred medicines, so the offering can be in the form of a tobacco pouch, tobacco tin or tobacco tie (loose tobacco wrapped in a small cloth.)
- You must do it person
- It must be done with good intentions and thoughts
- It must be held in front of you in your left hand
- You must state your request or intention
- If it is accepted by the Elder or gifted person, place it in their left hand
- If it not accepted, it is appropriate to ask for the right person to approach.
Who Can Be Gifted Tobacco
Elders – Chiefs – Band Council – Individuals – Youth and Children