As Head of the Commonwealth, The Queen attends the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which is held every two years. Leaders of each of the 53 member states take it in turns to host the event, where they convene to discuss shared global challenges. In 1973, The Queen toured Canada before attending CHOGM in Ottawa. During the tour she was presented with this pipe of peace by Chief John Samson. Peace pipes are objects of profound veneration among Native American peoples. Smoking is a key means of communicating with the sacred and plays a central role in private and collective ceremonies.