Cleansing and purification
Smudging, and who may do it
Burning sage, sweetgrass or cedar to cleanse a person or place. Many Indigenous nations hold this as sacred, and non-Indigenous use is debated.
Presented by ClearTrust Customs described as customs, free to read.
Smudging is a ceremony in which a bundle or a few leaves of plants such as sage, sweetgrass, cedar or tobacco are burned and the smoke is brushed over a person or space with a hand or a feather. Many First Nations, Métis and American Indian peoples practise it, each in its own way. The protocols vary by nation, and not all Indigenous peoples use the same plants.
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
- Sage, sweetgrass or cedarPlantVaries by nation and place.
- Shell or bowlToolHolds the burning plant.
- Feather or handToolMoves the smoke.
- Prayer or intentionWordSaid silently or aloud.
- The person or roomSpaceThe thing cleansed.
- Plant
- Tool
- 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 plant is placed in a shell or bowl. Step 2: Light It is lit and allowed to smoulder. Step 3: Speak The person offers a prayer or intention. Step 4: Cleanse The smoke is drawn over the body with the hands or a feather. Step 5: Close The ashes are returned to the earth with thanks.
Names and meaning
The word smudge is English. Peoples have their own words and teachings for the ceremony. Elders explain that smoke is a way of cleansing the mind, body and spirit and of carrying prayer. In Canada some schools, hospitals and courts have a policy on smudging.
The debate
Indigenous voices have criticised the sale of white sage bundles to non-Indigenous buyers and the use of the ceremony as a lifestyle trend. White sage is also overharvested in California and elsewhere. Many ask non-Indigenous people to learn from the people of the land, to buy from Indigenous sellers, and not to treat the ceremony as a product.
History of suppression
In the United States Native American religious practice was outlawed until the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, and in Canada the Indian Act banned ceremonies until 1951. Smudging in many places is therefore tied to cultural survival.
What it is for
- Cleansing
- Prayer and ceremony
- Beginning a gathering
Who does it
Related entries
Also part of it, and being written: Smudging (The ceremony.), Sweetgrass (One of the plants.), Cultural appropriation (The wider debate.).
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.