Tobacco is both a luxury and social responsibility.
At the end of a hard day of approving loans with the hope that they will be repaid there is nothing more relaxing than lighting up a cigarette. often referr to this as a "serenity smoke." Among the tribes of the southwestern Plains, however, the ritual smoke is a conduit to the spiritual realm. It is a means of prevailing upon the creator spirit to interevene in the healing process. In religious ceremonies, smoking takes the prayers and thoughts of thge people up to the spiritual realm. Within social settings, smoking is a way for people to connect with one another and with the spiritual realm.
