Tobacco Nation Episode 3 - Tradition by FNHA published on 2017-05-31T18:17:59Z Paula Potter is part Cree, part Scottish and is from Lakota Nation. She grew up in Edmonton but has lived in Vancouver for a long time. Paula is part of the ‘Culture Saves Lives’ movement. She leads sweats; she sun dances; she is a traditional pipe carrier. Paula does this to help Indigenous people reconnect with their cultures. Her sacred use of tobacco, handed down to her by her Indigenous grandmother during summer visits to Slave Lake in northern Alberta, helped her survive and overcome drug addiction. “Every morning, I would hold the tobacco and pray to my grandmother … I believe traditional tobacco helped keep me alive,” says Paula.
