Chansasa Revitalization project

The Chansasa Revitalization Project was created in partnership between the Mni Wichoni Health Circle and the University of North Dakota in the spring of 2021. Through this project we co-developed a plan with nine (9) community land stewards, which consisted of three (3) elders and six (6) community members, for replanting chansasa (red willow; sacred tobacco) along natural creeks on Standing Rock and developing harvesting protocols for chansasa in a traditional and sustainable way.

As western practices (i.e., commercial tobacco usage in ceremonies) continue to encroach on our traditional practices, there is a critical need to revitalize the original teachings and protocols for harvesting chansasa. This project supported community land stewards in reconnecting to ceremony, prayer, relationship to the land, and storytelling practices on the land, while learning about chansasa and the environment it thrives within. We completed the resource guide and we will be sharing it with community in sequences.

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Download the Chansasa Revitalization Project- Resource guide below and come learn with us.


Below is an interactive video we made to use within the Chansasa Revitalization Project- resource guide. Please give us feedback on if this was helpful and/or useful for your learning.