Wisdom and influence of elders: possibilities for health promotion and decreasing tobacco exposure in First Nations communities.
OBJECTIVE
This community-based project examined the interpersonal and system influences on smoking practices and exposure to cigarette smoke that place young pregnant and parenting First Nations women and their children at risk. The aim was to work with the community using this information to develop meaningful strategies to support tobacco reduction and reduce exposure to second-hand smoke.


METHODS
Ethnographic methods informed by decolonizing approaches were used to study smoking practices and exposure within the context of six First Nations rural reserve villages in the Gitxsan territory in North-Western British Columbia. Data were collected through individual interviews with key community members, individual and group interviews with women, men, youth and older people, including Elders, and participant observation.


RESULTS
Older people, including grandparents and Elders expressed great interest in being more involved in their communities, particularly with youth. Other community members, especially mothers, saw such older people as important in diminishing the tobacco exposure problem, with ideas for their involvement ranging from role modeling non-smoking or respectful smoking to teaching cultural traditions.


CONCLUSIONS
Elders in First Nations communities represent a culturally-relevant resource for health that is currently underused. Communities might draw upon their wisdom and influence to decrease tobacco exposure and promote community health in other ways. This offers a concrete, practical strategy in response to widespread calls for supporting the culture of Aboriginal people as part of health promotion.
University of British Columbia, School of Nursing, T201-2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 285. colleen.varcoe@nursing.ubc.ca
Colleen
C
Varcoe
Joan L
JL
Bottorff
Joanne
J
Carey
Debbie
D
Sullivan
Wanda
W
Williams
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001955:British Columbia; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D016901:Intergenerational Relations / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D011247:Pregnancy; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control; D055815:Young Adult
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution