Home / Lifestyle / Métis Gardener Gifts Sacred Tobacco, Sparks Joyful Exchanges
Métis Gardener Gifts Sacred Tobacco, Sparks Joyful Exchanges
15 Apr
Summary
- Métis gardener freely shares homegrown sacred tobacco seeds.
- Recipients offered gifts like cedar and sage in return.
- Demand for ceremonial tobacco doubles annually nationwide.
Julietta Sorensen Kass, a Métis citizen, cultivated more sacred tobacco than she needed on her northwest Calgary lawn. Realizing its cultural significance, she chose to share her bounty freely by posting on social media. This initiative fostered deeply rooted exchanges, with community members offering gifts like cedar and sage in return.
Sorensen Kass considers tobacco a sacred plant used for prayer and ceremony, referring to it as the "gratitude plant." Her efforts reconnect individuals with Indigenous culture and ancestral backgrounds. Meanwhile, Tobacco Seeds Canada reports a doubling in demand annually, attributing this to increased tobacco taxes and a surge in organic gardening interest.
Legally, Canadians can grow up to 15 kilograms of raw leaf tobacco per adult for personal use without a license. Sorensen Kass plans to continue growing and gifting tobacco, acknowledging the challenges many face in sourcing this culturally vital plant.
