White Bear brings in tough smoking bylaw

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Councillor Clarence Nokahoot of White Bear First Nation wants to clear the air around the Tobacco Control Act controversy.

Amid the complaints that it is unfair that the White Bear First Nation can allow smoking in its casino, Nokahoot said that people are missing the point.

White Bear First Nation put into effect its own smoking bylaw on Jan. 1, which prohibits smoking in all public places and enclosed work places on their lands, with the exception of the casino. This includes outdoor public places, whereas the provincial act, which came into effect on Jan. 1, places that in the jurisdiction of the municipalities.

"So in effect our bylaw is stricter than the provincial Tobacco Control Act. Everybody's nose just got out of joint because they were allowing 40 per cent smoking in the casino," said Nokahoot.

The Bear Claw Casino is the only indoor public place on the White Bear reserve that allows smoking.

"The majority of counsellors felt that it was out of the White Bear First Nation's jurisdiction, being that it's a joint venture between the province of Saskatchewan and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations," explained Nokahoot.

The councillor added that any amendment to the bylaw would have to come from pressure from the band's membership.

White Bear is the first of the four Saskatchewan First Nations with a casino on its reserve land to pass a bylaw governing smoking. Smoking is allowed in three of the four First Nations-owned casinos in Saskatchewan-the Bear Claw Casino, Northern Lights Casino in Prince Albert, owned by Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, and Gold Eagle Casino in North Battleford, owned by Mosquite, Grizzly Bear's Head, Lean Man First Nations.

The fourth, Painted Hand Casino, located in Yorkton and owned by the Sakimay First Nation, has actually been completely smoke-free since July 1, 2004, when Yorkton passed its municipal bylaw banning smoking in public places. The First Nation has opted, for the time being at least, to carry on with the status quo.

Discussions between the provincial government and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations to come to a compromise on smoking in the First Nation casinos are ongoing.