Modern colonisation

Colonisation is not a historical artefact and it continues contemporaneously at both country and global levels. Indigenous knowledge, values, behaviours and protocols have been suppressed (or sometimes appropriated) through colonisation processes, implemented by governments, churches and other institutions.23–26 However, Indigenous peoples remain steadfastly resistant and resilient in the face of colonisation in its many forms.24 The global promotion of commercial tobacco and the subsequent addiction of Indigenous peoples to nicotine products is a modern form of colonisation. Colonial forms of oppression include, but are not limited to, forced removal and relocation of Indigenous peoples from their land, removal of Indigenous children and using commercial tobacco as a form of payment prior to engagement with the cash economy.24 27 For example, tobacco was issued as rations on missions in Australia.27 Further, among some Indigenous peoples, the modification, transformation and commercialisation of the nicotiana tobacco plant belittles and disrespects something which is held sacred.25 28–31 Thus, commercial tobacco and any of its derivatives represent a threat to physical health, as well as spiritual health and well-being. In fact, given this understanding regarding the modification, transformation and commercialisation of the nicotiana tobacco plant25 30 and the strong evidence base of commercial tobacco-related addiction and ill-health, tobacco industry–funded research activities can be seen as a form of contemporary colonisation.9 29 32 This form of contemporary colonisation can be seen as a result of using culturally inappropriate protocols, assimilative practices and a raft of colonisation tools and processes, distorting Indigenous realities and creating an inaccurate Indigenous narrative that promotes Indigenous health harms and perpetuates oppression.

The tobacco industry’s role in purporting to support health research, while also profiting from selling commercial tobacco products, creates a conflict of interest. Therefore, tobacco industry funding of ‘health’ research either directly or indirectly, including via third parties, should be vigorously resisted. This is underscored by the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which states the Parties are “deeply concerned about the high levels of smoking and other forms of tobacco consumption by indigenous peoples” (FCTC, Preamble),22 page 2 and urges that tobacco industry influence be resisted.

Others have commented on the disconnect between PMI funding the Foundation as an act of social responsibility and their continued advocacy for, and sales of, tobacco.20 21 Further, the effects of the Foundation’s funding of the Centre appear to include (1) legitimising the Foundation, including the use of Indigenous imagery in promotional material; (2) legitimising PMI as being a responsible corporate citizen that cares about Indigenous peoples; and (3) creating and exploiting division among Indigenous peoples as well as the health sector by exploiting differences in views around ANDs. While Indigenous views on ANDs are diverse, our lives are complex, and simple individualised solutions, such as targeted smoking cessation interventions delivered in isolation from the larger context of community life, do not necessarily take this complexity into account.33

Indigenous peoples experience disproportionately high rates of commercial tobacco use, and consequently disproportionately high rates of tobacco-related death and disease.9 PMI appears to be interested in building a veneer of social responsibility, so that it can bolster corporate credibility and leverage this to influence political debates about tobacco control policy.7 34 If PMI was serious about its aims for a smoke-free world, it would cease its opposition to evidenced-based measures to reduce smoking rates, such as advertising bans, tax increases and plain packaging. Further, the tobacco industry would cease commercial tobacco manufacturing, marketing, lobbying and litigation. The tobacco industry has a long history of deliberately colluding in covering up, denying, confusing and questioning the science on smoking-related morbidity and mortality.35 As a business, PMI’s goal is to safeguard and extend shareholder profits, thus it is rapidly expanding into the lucrative AND markets. PMI has never demonstrated genuine concern for the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples, and has a history of ignoring and undermining scientific evidence.36 The tobacco industry’s interest in Indigenous peoples has been to appropriate our names and imagery31 37 along with the tobacco plant itself, with the sole intent of furthering tobacco sales and profits. Despite this history, the Foundation continues to claim that their agenda is not influenced by PMI.2 38 The Foundation states that it “cannot engage in activities designed to support PMI’s interests”,2 and is apparently seeking to associate with Indigenous organisations, researchers and peoples worldwide.4 But simply by existing and being embedded within PMI’s funding strategies, the Foundation is supporting PMI’s interests.21

Arguably, PMI funds the Foundation to create divisions among those who are working towards a smoke-free world.20 21 For example, tobacco industry documents proved that the industry has long known about the health effects of smoking, the danger of secondhand smoke and the addictiveness of nicotine but deliberately colluded in covering up, denying, confusing and questioning the science demonstrating smoking-related morbidity and mortality.35 The arguments about who to trust and who researchers should accept funding from can dilute the health sectors’ efforts, create confusion, throw doubt on who should be believed and create further opportunities to promote the tobacco industry agenda.3 34 This replicates a common tool of colonisation: divide and conquer.39

History of exploitation and appropriation

PMI has a history of exploiting and appropriating Indigenous names and imagery to sell its products, including selling ‘Māori Mix’ in Israel.37 It also has a long history of opposing sovereign governments implementing tobacco control legislation and policies that will protect the health of their citizens.20 35 In so doing, PMI exerts its corporate sovereignty over the rights of Indigenous peoples to continue selling tobacco products in their countries, even when they are not wanted.10 It is well documented that PMI and the tobacco industry use tactics of focusing on ‘individual choice’ to redirect blame. However, framing tobacco addiction as ‘individual choice’ conveniently shifts the policy focus and ‘commonsense’ discourse away from the issues of tobacco supply and industry profit.34 40 For Indigenous peoples, these acts can be seen as attempts to suppress our collective voices.39

Ka mua, ka muri (Māori proverb: looking to our past as we move in the future)

In supporting the Centre, the Foundation President, Dr Derek Yach, released a video in which Indigenous peoples were referred to as ‘vulnerable and off the beaten track’.4 Indigenous peoples have endured colonisation, but this does not define us. Portraying Indigenous people in a negative light, as marginalised and lacking power, is a classic tool of colonisation. In contrast, for many Indigenous peoples, resilience and resistance have kept our culture alive and our communities are thriving. We hold on to our traditions and the deeds of our ancestors as we move to the future and the potential it holds.

Indigenous peoples are strong, practical and innovative. We have a range of views on the role of emerging technologies, such as ANDs, in helping achieve our health and well-being goals. But the use of ANDs is not and cannot be an end point. Much of the tobacco control discourse extolled by the Foundation sits within a biomedical view of health, focusing on individual physical health.2 3 11 38 Indigenous health and well-being is more than physical health11—it is about the ways Indigenous people may relate to the tobacco plant, about our spiritual essence, and about fostering an environment for our traditions and culture to prosper.11 13 25 29 Committing current and future generations to lifetimes of nicotine dependence has significant health and well-being implications. This is where the Foundation’s agenda and PMI’s agenda align, and Indigenous health (as well as broader public health) agendas do not. As outlined in the Foundation’s Strategic Plan3 page 2, they are “…seeking to engage industry to accelerate the shift away from cigarettes towards less harmful forms of nicotine. The ecosystem is capable of transforming today because of innovations in digital consumer technologies and in products that deliver nicotine without the harmful chemicals created by burning tobacco”. PMI wants current and future generations to use commercial nicotine products. For Indigenous peoples, our future lies in ridding ourselves from the physical, social and spiritual harms caused by commercial tobacco use and nicotine addiction.