Diné (Navajo) healer perspectives on commercial tobacco use in ceremonial settings: An oral story project to promote smoke-free life

Many American Indian (AI) healers are faced with a dilemma of how to maintain the ceremonial uses of traditional tobacco meant to encourage the restoration and balance of mind, body, and spirit, while discouraging commercial tobacco use and protecting against secondhand smoke exposure in ceremonial settings. To explore this dilemma and offer culturally informed solutions, researchers conducted qualitative interviews with Navajo healers who describe the history and role of commercial tobacco within ceremonial contexts. Healers understand the importance of their role on their community's health and expressed deep concern about the use of commercial tobacco in the ceremonial setting. Healers play an important role in curbing the use of commercial tobacco and limiting the exposure to secondhand smoke in ceremonial settings and beyond. Study implications include the importance of understanding traditional and cultural knowledge and its potential as a pathway to solve contemporary public health issues facing AI communities.