For the past five years, The Rhode Island Indian Council has initiated and conducted a Tobacco Control Program for the Rhode Island Native American Community, the most important achievement being the establishment of an Elders Advisory Committee. In addition to meeting monthly, the activities of the Elders Committee have included guiding tobacco control and prevention activities, organizing community members, providing culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate strategic planning, and delivering tobacco prevention cessation outreach programs within the Native American community of Rhode Island.

Through its Elders Committee, the RIIC has conducted a tobacco control needs assessment of the Native American community; produced a Tobacco Control Smoking Policy, using Native American beliefs and best practices to send non-smoking messages to community members; and recruited intergenerational members (elders and youth) to participate in Native American Tobacco Control monthly meetings.

To ensure strong youth participation in the program, the Elders Committee worked directly with young people to share both mainstream methods and traditional methods of providing tobacco messages of tobacco use among Native Americans. A strong bond has been created between the Native-American elders and young Native American people, and this relationship has enabled strong advocacy against smoking and it has encouraged active participation by young people in sending anti-smoking messages and distributing material to local business owners, community centers, schools, etc.

Most importantly, from a Native American perspective, the elder/youth relationship created has assisted in promoting, and in some cases initiating among the youth, respect and understanding of traditional and religious Native American values and perspectives related to tobacco.