"Haudenosaunee Chiefs develop draft tobacco law"

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC) has approved a draft working tobacco law to go to the community for input.

The Royanni, accepted the proposed tobacco strategy as a draft at its meeting Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015 and approved the working draft to go to clan families at the Grand River Territory of the Six Nations for input, a statement released Monday says.

"Since the HCCC strive to work in unity with all people of the Six Nations and our member nations in addition to providing the draft tobacco law to our clan families, plans are underway to hold community meetings at Grand River Territory of the Six Nations on the "draft tobacco law."

The HCCC formed a committee of HCCC delegates who are working in conjunction with the Haudenosaunee Trade Collective, a group of local tobacco manufacturers, to draft a tobacco law in response to Bill C-10, the Conservative government's omnibus crime bill that includes legislation that would criminalize the Haudenosaunee domestic tobacco industry by including it within its definition of "contraband" tobacco.

The Confederacy Council works to protect Haudenosaunee people, lands and rights enshrined in the "Great Law" and laid out in a number of treaties with the Crown from the Treaty of Fort Stanwick to the "Dish" with one spoon to the Haldimand Treaty of October 25, 1784.

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council issued a legal notice last summer explaining the original tobacco (oyengwaoweh) is a sacred gift the Haudenosaunee continue to grow and use.

Tobacco is an important driver in the Haudenosaunee economy. The notice explained the Confederacy would take steps to protect their people, that includes the creating of a tobacco law.