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Tobacco products are able to be purchased at nearly any gas station or drugstore across the country and all over the globe. It is no secret that the drug nicotine has the ability to foster life-long addiction and countless health changes, but it has managed to live a long life on the shelves, ready to be bought by anyone age-permitting. There is a certain stigma surrounding the use of the still familiar substance and its relation to the Native Peoples who are seen as the originators of the practice. Interestingly enough, their experience that was curated with the use of tobacco is extrordinarily different than your average "smoke break."

Here, we take a brief look at the traditions surrounding tobacco in Native culture and the representations of it today.