Sault Tribe offers smoke-free housing

NEWS RELEASE

SAULT STE. MARIE TRIBE OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS

************************* Sault Tribe is first Michigan tribe to establish smoke-free tribal housing

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI - The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians has become the first tribe in Michigan - and fifth in the nation - to establish smoke-free housing units for tribal members.

The Sault Tribe Housing Authority today celebrated the opening of smoke-free homes for eight tribal families (four duplex units) in Kincheloe, Michigan.

Additional smoke-free housing units will be established in future years, under a new policy adopted earlier this year by the Sault Tribe Housing Authority Commission.

“Providing a healthy living environment for tribal members is our main goal,” said Sault Tribe Housing Director Joni Talentino. “We want to give our members the opportunity to join the nationwide movement toward becoming smoke-free.”

All of the smoke-free units are full.

Starting in November 2008, as an initiative of the Sault Tribe Strategic Alliance for Health Project, the Sault Tribe Tobacco Task Force, the Sault Tribe Housing Authority, the Sault Tribal Youth Council, the Chippewa County Tobacco-Free Living Coalition, the Smoke-free Environments Law Project and the Michigan Department of Community Health worked together to adopt the policy and establish the smoke-free housing units.

Other supporters of the policy included the Tribal Youth Council and smoke-free environments.

“Many tribal and non-tribal entities worked hard on obtaining this status,” said Donna Norkoli, project coordinator of the Sault Tribe Strategic Alliance for Health Project. “It truly could not have been done without these partnerships.”

The Sault Tribe Housing Authority joins nine other local housing commissions in the U.P. who have adopted smoke-free policies.

“Of 11 tribal housing authorities in Michigan, the Sault Tribe has taken the lead in adopting a smoke-free policy,” said Jim Bergman of the Smoke-Free Environments Law Project. “Hopefully, other tribes will soon follow the Sault Tribe’s leadership role.” The Sault Tribe Housing Authority joins the Sault Ste. Marie Housing Commission and a number of private apartment owners in Sault Ste. Marie, such as Randy McGahey of Ashmun Creek Apartments and Deb Harwood of Harwood Properties, Inc., in providing smoke-free housing options Chippewa County.

“We commend the Sault Tribe for its leadership in adopting a smoke-free housing policy,” said Julie Trotter, coordinator of the Chippewa County Tobacco-Free Living Coalition. “We are hopeful that your interest and leadership in this important public health initiative will promote other housing officials - both tribal and non tribal - to follow suit.”

The Sault Tribe Housing Authority manages more than 500 housing units across the Upper Peninsula.

For more information regarding smoke-free housing, contact Donna Norkoli at Sault Tribe Community Health at (906) 635-8844.

PHOTO CAPTION: Smoke-free family - Celebrating the first Sault Tribe Housing Unit designated as smoke-free are family members, left to right: Rodney Leask, Peyton Leask, Cathie Menard, Diana Leask, Debbra Leask, Rebecca Leask (holding sign) and Kim Mills holding grandson Landon Thomas Gaskin next to their smoke-free home.

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