White Sage
Although their history is left out of this post, it’s important to note that indigenous people of Mexico are very much included when speaking of the native community.
For some people, native culture is a concept or a history lesson, but, to me, it means so much more. For a little background, I am indigenous on my father’s side who is the one to originally teach me about white sage, smudging, and other sacred medicines. We are from Lummi Nation in Coast Salish territory and, despite living on my ancestral land nearly my whole life, I didn’t get the chance to truly begin connecting to my culture until I was an adult. I began educating myself on indigenous and American history in 2020 as a way to connect to my ancestral roots and figured it would be worth sharing what I’ve learned during this time and how that’s shaped my opinion of nonnative people’s use of indigenous practices + medicines.
White sage is native to the lower California, upper Mexico area and is especially important to the native people that have tended to that land since time immemorial. While white sage is known to be one of the 4 sacred medicines, it’s important to understand that every tribes medicines/practices are different and highly dependent on the terrain around them. These sacred plants are often venerated as an elder or ancestor, with gratitude and honor engrained into every step from seed to harvest and on. For Lummi people and a majority of the Coast Salish people, this is the cedar tree. We used cedar to make woven hats, baskets, canoes, and much more. The cedar tree is apart of many traditions and has sustained many generations from birth to death. When we burn cedar, it’s not just a spiritual practice, it’s a cultural one; one that connects us with our ancestors and the wisdom they carry. This is true for white sage as well, with it even being referred to as “Grandmother” in some regions and tribes. Due to the current “trendiness” of white sage, poachers have been causing massive damage to the plants and fields as they steal thousands of pounds of sage from protected lands to keep up with the demand. Outside of how blatantly disrespectful that is, concerns are now raised for the future of the plant and it’s accessibility for native people and their traditions. In my opinion, this alone should be enough to find replacements for white sage, but a common argument for nonnative people is to just grow it for themselves, which I personally think is more effort than using something else like rosemary. This absolutely makes sense when thinking in terms of poaching, but I think that the given the history, keeping native practices and medicines for native ceremonies is a sign of respect and honor for the horrific abuse they suffered to make space for people to settle here.
A SHORT HISTORY RECAP
TRIGGER WARNING: GENOCIDE/RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS/ABUSE MENTIONED
It’s no secret that Canada and the United States have a gruesome history with the native people here. While some may believe that the violence between them ended when treaties were signed, that was actually the beginning of a whole new battle in the very much ongoing war against native genocide. Considering the violence between settlers and the indigenous people, tribal leaders often had no choice but to sign treaties due to the threat their people and way of life, and the government used that to their advantage.
In article 14 of the Treaty of Point Elliot 1855, my tribes treaty with the United States government, it states there will be a school provided by the government. What they didn’t say is that those schools would be ran by church members who would then strip the children of their cultural identity and beat, abuse, and kill them (not to mention how many were lost to disease) in order to “Kill the Indian, Save the Man.”
Here’s what the Tulalip tribe has to say about the residential school my ancestors attended:
“School officials would take the children from their parents, and they would live at the school except during the summer when they returned home. The children missed their families and could be heard crying after the lights were out. In addition, at that time, U.S. policy stated that Native American students were to stop using their language and practicing their culture and religion and to learn English, American culture and Christianity. ” Read More
In 1883, the US government passed a body of legislation called the Code of Indian Offenses, that criminalized native dances, ceremonies and medicinal/spiritual practices, including the use of white sage. This was intended to assimilate indigenous people into settler culture/religion and the reason why indigenous children would have their traditional clothing taken, their long hair cut, and their language banned from use when arriving to residential schools. They would often face harsh punishments, including death, if they didn’t comply. Learn more about U.S. residential school findings here.
As if residential schools weren’t enough, in the late 1950’s, the BIA partnered with the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) to create a federal program called the Indian Adoption Project. This program was created to place indigenous children with white, Christian families to further detribalize them and assimilate them into settler culture. It wasn’t until 1978, when the Religious Freedom Act and the Indian Child Welfare (ICWA) act were passed, that indigenous people would have the rights to protect their children and practice their traditions freely. Despite the mark the IAP and residential schools have left on the survivors and their families, the constitutionality of ICWA has recently been questioned in a case brought to the Supreme Court. Even though they have deemed ICWA constitutional, children are still being withheld from their native family members in homes that have no regard for the child’s culture.
The effects of older tactics used to commit genocide against these native tribes still affect current generations today on top of current tactics used to disconnect our children from their culture, attack our families and resources, and to deny native sovereignty. Intergenerational trauma, mental health issues, and drug/alcohol abuse among the indigenous community is a direct consequence of the attacks brought on by the government. A lot of tribes are still fighting for access to basic needs like clean water and affordable food. Studies have shown that indigenous women, girls, and two-spirits are murdered and experience violent crimes against them at a higher rate than the national average, with murder being their third leading cause of death. Despite Mexican people having indigenous ties to the land, they are often labeled as “aliens” and treated as criminals; having their families torn apart over man-made lines and put into inhumane holding facilities. While fighting against all of that and much more, native people are also leading the battle against global warming; putting themselves in harms way to protect the planet for all of us. There’s no reason native people should have to fight for equal rights and respect while also watching people not only appropriate but profit off of a culture that our ancestors were criminalized and killed over.
PROTECTING INDIGENOUS PRACTICES
White sage, the 4 sacred medicines, smudging, and all indigenous practices are a symbol of sacred resilience and that’s worth protecting at all costs. I am indigenous and know who/where I come from and I still use it sparingly. My family’s use of white sage is limited to our reconnection journeys and ancestral practices and I personally think that’s the best use for it especially as the poaching crisis is being tended too. The simplest way to protect white sage is to stop using it and reserve it for native practices. Smudging, specifically, is a closed practice, but smoke cleansing with rosemary and frankincense is a fantastic replacement (and my personal favorites) for spiritual cleansing. You could go a step further and continue educating yourself on the history of indigenous people and white sage so you’re able to help educate your friends and family on native issues like cultural appropriation, the MMIW crisis, and more. There are so many other options that can support your spiritual health that there’s no reason to have to appropriate someone’s culture to do it; you just need to care enough about those communities to look for them.
