Cleansing and purification
Aboriginal smoking ceremony
A public welcome in which native leaves are burned and the smoke is believed to cleanse a place and its visitors. Other ceremonies are closed.
Presented by ClearTrust Customs described as customs, free to read.
A smoking ceremony is an Aboriginal Australian custom in which green leaves are burnt, producing smoke that is said to cleanse the place and people and to ward off bad spirits. Elders now perform it at public events, openings and sporting occasions. The plants and the words depend on the local people and country.
This is an outline of a custom, said as belief and practice. It is not instruction, it does not say that the rite works, and it is not medical advice.
What goes into it
- Native leaves and barkPlantChosen by local custom.
- Fire in a small bowl or pitObjectProduces the smoke.
- ElderGestureLeads the ceremony.
- Words of welcomeWordSpoken in language or English.
- CountrySpaceThe land that is being honoured.
- Plant
- Object
- Gesture
- Word
- Space
Each part has an equal wedge. The ring shows what goes into the rite, not how much. Colour is the part's role.
The steps, drawn
Each drawing shows the kind of act in that step. Details differ from place to place, family to family and practitioner to practitioner.
Step 1: Gather The elder collects leaves and prepares a fire. Step 2: Light A fire is lit and the leaves are added for smoke. Step 3: Speak The elder speaks words of welcome and care. Step 4: Cleanse People walk through or near the smoke. Step 5: Close The fire is put out and the ceremony ends.
Public and private
The ceremony as seen at civic events is a public form created for welcome. Many other Aboriginal ceremonies, such as men's and women's business, are closed and not shared, and the Dreaming stories belong to particular peoples. Do not assume that a public ceremony is representative of all.
Welcome to Country
A smoking ceremony often goes with a Welcome to Country, a statement by a traditional owner welcoming visitors to their land. The practice is relatively recent in its public form and has been taken up widely since the 1970s.
Respect
Visitors should ask local people before taking part or taking photographs, and be careful about buying so-called ceremonial products from non-Aboriginal sellers.
What it is for
- Welcome
- Cleansing a place
- Marking an occasion
Who does it
Related entries
Also part of it, and being written: Smoking ceremony (The ceremony.), Welcome to Country (The statement of welcome.), Australian Aboriginal religion and mythology (The wider setting.).
Sources and further reading
Original text and drawings by the EveryJaadu desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Closed or sacred detail is left out. If we have something wrong, tell us.