The practice of smudging, therefore, should not be taken lightly, according to Dr. Adrienne Keene, an assistant professor of American Studies and Ethnic Studies at Brown University, author of the blog Native Appropriations, and citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Some of the Pagan practitioners had received training from a Native American teacher. As Pagans pride themselves on being sensitive to practices of diverse cultures, most quickly gave up the use of sage; the use of other Native American artifacts in Pagan practices became less common as well. Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. It was illegal for Natives to practice their religion (including smudging) until 1978 in the U.S. It's something they've had to fight for. This may just be the people I know, or the area, or any other number of factors, but I'm pretty sure generally speaking you're chill to burn what you want as long as you don't LARP and pretend to do some ceremony or ritual with significant cultural value. ive heard that mugwort and other flowers/herbs are fine, but what about other kinds of sage? It's a controversial topic, one that activists and celebrities like Adrienne Keene and Jesse Williams have helped bring into the national spotlight. Its an important ceremonial purifying ritual or prayer created and practiced in many North American Indigenous cultures. It represents a continuing legacy of marginalizing and punishing Native spirituality, says Keene. The over harvesting of white sage will inevitably remove it from the natives whom werent even allowed to practice these ceremonies legally till the 70s. Building on von Redecker's point about the abstract . Purification can be done using a number of substances, including salt, rosemary and sometimes white sage. It is important to consider the impact that the appropriation of blue sage has had on indigenous communities. Traditional dress and eagles feathers were two other examples of commonly appropriated items. It has become common, for example, for younger Americans to cleanse their homes of bad spirits with white sage even if they do not identify as Pagans. Why is Good UI/UX Design Imperative for Business Success? Is this the society we re living in? . Some people see it as disrespectful to the tribes that have historically used blue sage and argue that it should not be used by other cultures. Palo Santo sticks have been getting more popular as an alternative to sage, but buying this Central and South American tree bark used by Amazonian tribes can also be harmful, in similar ways to white sage. Why is burning sage cultural appropriation? Cultural appropriation leads to a narrow look at other cultures and often exploitation of those cultures. Another is to research the traditional uses of blue sage and incorporate them into your own practices. ._1aTW4bdYQHgSZJe7BF2-XV{display:-ms-grid;display:grid;-ms-grid-columns:auto auto 42px;grid-template-columns:auto auto 42px;column-gap:12px}._3b9utyKN3e_kzVZ5ngPqAu,._21RLQh5PvUhC6vOKoFeHUP{font-size:16px;font-weight:500;line-height:20px}._21RLQh5PvUhC6vOKoFeHUP:before{content:"";margin-right:4px;color:#46d160}._22W-auD0n8kTKDVe0vWuyK,._244EzVTQLL3kMNnB03VmxK{display:inline-block;word-break:break-word}._22W-auD0n8kTKDVe0vWuyK{font-weight:500}._22W-auD0n8kTKDVe0vWuyK,._244EzVTQLL3kMNnB03VmxK{font-size:12px;line-height:16px}._244EzVTQLL3kMNnB03VmxK{font-weight:400;color:var(--newCommunityTheme-metaText)}._2xkErp6B3LSS13jtzdNJzO{-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;margin-top:13px;margin-bottom:2px}._2xkErp6B3LSS13jtzdNJzO ._22W-auD0n8kTKDVe0vWuyK{font-size:12px;font-weight:400;line-height:16px;margin-right:4px;margin-left:4px;color:var(--newCommunityTheme-actionIcon)}._2xkErp6B3LSS13jtzdNJzO .je4sRPuSI6UPjZt_xGz8y{border-radius:4px;box-sizing:border-box;height:21px;width:21px}._2xkErp6B3LSS13jtzdNJzO .je4sRPuSI6UPjZt_xGz8y:nth-child(2),._2xkErp6B3LSS13jtzdNJzO .je4sRPuSI6UPjZt_xGz8y:nth-child(3){margin-left:-9px} Our modern understanding of cultural appropriation is highly individualised. Being intentional about how you implement this practice in your life and being mindful about its origins and significance is helpful for everyone. Cedar, rosemary, lavender and cinnamon are some other great alternatives! Sometimes white sage was used for purification in a ritual. Smudging refers to a specific cultural and spiritual practice, but smoke cleansing offers an alternative to smudging for folks who aren't Indigenous. Those who had been using sage returned to using either salt and water or rosemary for purification. Feel free to cleanse or purify or scent or whatever using anything you want. Participants believed they were honoring the first people on the continent by incorporating elements of their spiritual practice. So that raises another factor, I guess. Curated. As religious studies scholar Sarah Pike found among contemporary Pagans, cultural borrowing from Native Americans was seen as connecting the participants to the spirits that lived in the land around them. As a sociologist of religion who has studied contemporary Paganism for more than 30 years, I am aware of how important both contact with the spirit world and purification are in this religion. You can also use white sage as long as if you bought it for a native, or a native gave it to you. The term "cultural appropriation" has been used to describe everything from makeup and hairstyles to tattoos, clothing and even food and wellness practices. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice| Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information| Ad Choices The species name "azurea" is Latin for "sky blue." Blue sage is a common name that refers to several different plant species. Idk I may just not have a ton of experience in this subject, but all of the indigenous people in my life who have seen my incense collection haven't even mentioned anything about any of the scents. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.). While it is not wrong to use elements of another culture, it is important to do so in a respectful way. When using medicinal plants, its important that the plant is used sustainably. Exclude from home page BNG staff 'No Celebrities Except Jesus': How Asbury Protected the Revival. Your email address will not be published. One example that Moody-Ramirez gave is when designers have models wear . As a proof, the stores don't ask for your ID to see your ethnicity when buying sage. Magic, the process of changing reality to your will through incantations, is done in this realm. found along the coast of Southern California, frankincense and myrrh were burned in ancient Egypt for prayer, rosemary was historically burned in hospitals in France, International Union for Conservation of Natures (IUCN) list. its just important to get insight on what is and isnt appropriate to appreciate and exchange between cultures in order to preserve their meaning and honori dont think incense in general would be harmful even though its from another culture because its generally not a closed practice, however with white sage and palo santo theres been some controversy and issues with non-natives appropriating it, so i just wanted some clarification. and challenging what they describe as wanton cultural appropriation by non-Natives eager for a quick fix to the "dis-ease" associated . One of the ways it can become more serious is through the presence of what we term 'amplifiers'. The participants were also purified, with salt, water, smoke from a candle, incense or rosemary and a crystal or rock, symbolizing Mother Earth. Sign up here. Pagan rituals take place outdoors, when possible, or sometimes in peoples homes or in occult bookstores. It represents a continuing legacy of marginalizing and punishing Native spirituality. It comes down to the spirit in which you wear a garment and whether that spirit communicates respect versus condescension. "When using medicinal plants, it's important that the plant is used . Smudging is distinctly Indigenous. If you have any insights or knowledge you think would be valuable, feel free to share them with me. Though not the only sage native to North America, white sage is by far the one most frequently used and sold by the wellness industry. Cultural appropriation refers to the use of objects or elements of a non-dominant culture in a way that reinforces stereotypes or contributes to oppression and doesn't respect their original meaning or give credit to their source. I appreciate the sensitivity but there are bigger fish to fry in a society that puts kids in cages because their parents are brown. The past few years have certainly left many folks with the desire to rid their homes of negative energy. Historically, deciding exactly what culture is hasn't been easy. Really interested in some others viewpoints but a lot of the responses here dont really go into it! New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. When I began my research in 1986, it was most commonly done using salt and water. /*# sourceMappingURL=https://www.redditstatic.com/desktop2x/chunkCSS/TopicLinksContainer.3b33fc17a17cec1345d4_.css.map*/Been looking into this quite a lot recently but havent found too many answers on other types of sage. Curated. When we pick sage, we always leave the root and say a prayer of thanks for our harvest. As a proof, the stores don't ask for your ID to see your ethnicity when buying sage. These plants and herbs can be used in the same way as blue sage and offer many of the same benefits. Cultural appropriation is a very complicated topic, and the line between appreciating and learning from another culture and stealing from them in a harmful way isn't always clear. As Pagans pride themselves on being sensitive to practices of diverse cultures, most quickly gave up the use of sage; the use of other Native American artifacts in Pagan practices became less common as well. But unless you are a descendant of Indigenous North American people, it likely wasn't white sage that they were burning, according to Keene. ._12xlue8dQ1odPw1J81FIGQ{display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle} All Rights Reserved. It may even be personally fulfilling to find out if and what your ancestors burned for cleansing. Fears have also been raised that overharvesting could result in the plants becoming extinct, resulting in the extinction of the animals that are dependent on it as well. It is important to note, however, that they should still be used in a respectful way and not taken out of their traditional contexts. The use of sage was not the only cultural artifact that these Native American spokespeople objected to being used by nonnatives. Welcome to r/incense, a community dedicated to the discussion of incense of all kinds. 1 Cultural appropriation is defined as the act of taking or using elements of one culture by members of another culture without permission or acknowledgement of the source (Oxford Dictionary). It's important that in the process of any cleansing you're respecting Indigenous cultures and the ecosystem. .s5ap8yh1b4ZfwxvHizW3f{color:var(--newCommunityTheme-metaText);padding-top:5px}.s5ap8yh1b4ZfwxvHizW3f._19JhaP1slDQqu2XgT3vVS0{color:#ea0027} Dr. Adrienne Keene, assistant professor of American Studies and Ethnic Studies at Brown University, author of the blog Native Appropriations, and citizen of the Cherokee Nation, This article was originally published on July 19, 2019, Shadow Work Is All About Stepping Into Your Power Here's How To Do It, TikTok's "Soft Life" Trend Isn't Just About Enjoying Nice Things, Meet The Running Coach Advocating For POC Representation On The Trails, How Many Squats Should You Do? It is a way to keep danger at bay as well as provide a way to separate the sacred from the mundane. Why are your so afraid of possibly offending? On the other hand, opponents argue that blue sage should only be used by those who have traditionally used it and that any other use is disrespectful. HTWC 1 yr. ago I just burn incense for the smell and because I enjoy collecting, but if you have a deeper meaning behind your burning, or burn it more ritualistically like while meditating, you may want to be more weary. The celebration of nature takes several forms, the most common being a series of rituals that commemorate the changing seasons. A close up image of a bushy white sage plant used to make smudge sticks. sage smart oven pro recipes; is lady helen wogan still alive; pros and cons of reading mastery; is big city funding group legit; eddie foo doctor bristol; can encore guests use the wynn pool? Blue sage is a member of the Mint family (Lamiaceae). They then used salt and water to purify the circle. There are other ways to purify your space. Helen A. Berger receives funding from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, Association for the Sociology of Religion, and West Chester University. The participants were also purified, with salt, water, smoke from a candle, incense or rosemary and a crystal or rock, symbolizing Mother Earth. It is now being more widely marketed by stores such as Walmart and Anthropologie. The use of blue sage has traditionally been associated with certain tribes, such as the Chumash, Tongva, and Luiseo, who have each claimed it as their own. It was used because it was associated with Native American practice. The sage plant is native to the Mediterranean region but has grown across the Americas for ages. Meanwhile smudging with palo santo and white sage is a sacred ritual for many native North American tribes, who only pass down the practice to members of their community. Thanks to the recent trendiness of smudging, white sage is in high demand. The use of sage by non-Native Americans is again becoming more prevalent. They argue that the appropriation of blue sage has led to an increase in the commercialization of the plant, a decrease in access for indigenous people, and a loss of cultural identity. It also includes the unauthorized use of parts of their culture (their dress, dance, etc.) While it is important to respect the cultures that have traditionally used blue sage, it is also possible to use the plant in a respectful way. Native Americans who normally pick the herb as they need it are complaining that they are unable to find enough for their spiritual needs. The purpose of smudging, however, is ill-defined for most consumers. Go into it All kinds American Indigenous cultures and often exploitation of those cultures using either salt and.... Salt and water prayer of thanks for our harvest but a lot of the responses here dont really go it! 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