In the month of September 2007 the following letter to the editor was published in the Mille Lacs Messenger, a Minnesota county newspaper.
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More on tobacco

By Thomas Dahlheimer

For centuries before the arrival of Europeans and the Ojibwe tribe, our state's Dakota tribe used Nicotiana Rustica (a different species of tobacco than used commercially) or other sacred herbs (kinnikinnik or chanshasha) for special healing and religious ceremonies. Originally, the Dakota tribe, as well as our state's Ojbiwe tribe did not have a tradition of frequent or recreational use of tobacco. Yet, today, a majority of American Indian adults in Minnesota report commercial tobacco use. As a result, American Indians in our state suffer from elevated rates of poor health outcomes attributable to tobacco, including cancers, heart disease, SIDS and respiratory diseases.

American Indians in our state find it difficult to quit smoking in large part because tobacco use is such a strong social norm in "Indian Country", that is where Indian people gather and socialize. For historical reasons, commercial cigarettes have become embedded in social and cultural settings, and spiritual ceremonies.

In Minnesota about 22% of Tribal casino gaming jobs are held by American Indians; at some casino locations, such as Leech Lake, it is as high as 50%. Many also choose to socialize there and or conduct business meetings or family gatherings at the affiliated resort facilities. In addition to the American Indians attending casinos, hundreds of thousands of non-Indian Minnesotans also visit gaming operations. Whether they spend small or large amount of time in the casinos, they are all exposed to harmful amounts of toxins.