When using medicinal plants, its important that the plant is used sustainably. For example, frankincense and myrrh were burned in ancient Egypt for prayer, and rosemary was historically burned in hospitals in France in order to clear the air of infection. A Comprehensive Review. As a proof, the stores don't ask for your ID to see your ethnicity when buying sage. The demand has become so great that many Chumash people (of what is now Southern California) are concerned that the plant is being overharvested. Some of these include white sage (Salvia apiana), cedar (Thuja plicata), sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), and mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris). The use of sage by non-Native Americans is again becoming more prevalent. "Salvia" is a name that means "healer," referring to this ancient name for a sage with medicinal properties. . It's important that in the process of any cleansing you're respecting Indigenous cultures and the ecosystem. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way. Possibly more importantly, rituals are meant to open up the individual to the spiritual or other world. Do you have knowledge or insights to share? Just don't pretend to do a sacred smudge ritual of something. Brandeis University provides funding as a member of The Conversation US. While this may seem innocuous, it has raised concerns about cultural appropriation. The market has become larger as aspects of Pagan or New Age practices have seeped into more general practice and the number of Pagans has increased. The phrase originated in the . HTWC 1 yr. ago It would be both ironic and sad if in celebrating Mother Earth, Pagans helped to make a sacred herb extinct. participating in a closed practice thats not part of your culture (which is considered cultural appropriation) isnt helpful to the indigenous communities. 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By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. When purification includes the use of sage, it raises the issue of appropriation, as it has traditionally been used by Native Americans in their rituals. The participants were also purified, with salt, water, smoke from a candle, incense or rosemary and a crystal or rock, symbolizing Mother Earth. Because of all that complicated history of sage burning, when non-Native people use white sage to "smudge" their homes or other spaces, it infringes upon the cultural importance and authenticity of the ritual and prayer simply, its cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation often is viewed as a problem of . and challenging what they describe as wanton cultural appropriation by non-Natives eager for a quick fix to the "dis-ease" associated . Yall are so sickening and you cant even see why. 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. Magic, the process of changing reality to your will through incantations, is done in this realm. If someone is harvesting white sage and doesnt know how to properly do so, theyre preventing more plants from growing and thus endangering the plant species. It is now being more widely marketed by stores such as Walmart and Anthropologie. Is Blue Sage Cultural Appropriation? . So when our religious practices are mocked through these products, or folks are commodifying and making money off our ceremonies, its not about who has the right to buy or sell. If you have used herbs to cleanse your space in the past and enjoy the ritual, you don't have to give it up in order to do so in a culturally conscious way. Sign up here. "Taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from someone else's culture without permission. While it is not inherently wrong to adopt elements of another culture, it can be problematic when the source is not acknowledged or respected. 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. The use of sage was not the only cultural artifact that these Native American spokespeople objected to being used by nonnatives. ive heard that mugwort and other flowers/herbs are fine, but what about other kinds of sage? No, blue sage, white sage and any other sage is not cultural appropriation. This form of cleansing can look a bit like smudging, but its just the simple act of burning herbs, wood, incense, or other safe-to-burn materials that possess cleansing properties. Some of the Pagan practitioners had received training from a Native American teacher. Different Native communities use different medicines for smudging depending on where they are from, and not every culture uses white sage or smudges. 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. When I began my research in 1986, it was most commonly done using salt and water. Helen A. Berger, Affliated Scholar at the Women's Studies . 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. Just use your sage and that's it. Cultural appropriation, defined Culture refers to the traditions, customs, beliefs, and practices of any given ethnic, racial, or religious group. . Supporters of cultural appropriation argue that it is not inherently wrong to use elements of another culture, as long as it is done in a respectful way. They're still currently battling to be allowed to perform smudging in hospitals. In addition, the study found that the appropriation of blue sage has led to a loss of cultural identity for some indigenous people. Theme: Newsup by Themeansar. The CO-OP adopts the Colorado Outdoor Principles and acknowledges that outdoor recreation and conservation should reflect, respect, and value the demographic and cultural diversity of our state. Cleansing is a way to provide a safe place to interact with the spirit world, which is always part of Pagan rituals. Even from a non economical standpoint i just see it as the best part of multiculturism. Traditional dress and eagles feathers were two other examples of commonly appropriated items. .LalRrQILNjt65y-p-QlWH{fill:var(--newRedditTheme-actionIcon);height:18px;width:18px}.LalRrQILNjt65y-p-QlWH rect{stroke:var(--newRedditTheme-metaText)}._3J2-xIxxxP9ISzeLWCOUVc{height:18px}.FyLpt0kIWG1bTDWZ8HIL1{margin-top:4px}._2ntJEAiwKXBGvxrJiqxx_2,._1SqBC7PQ5dMOdF0MhPIkA8{vertical-align:middle}._1SqBC7PQ5dMOdF0MhPIkA8{-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center} Your email address will not be published. It is important to remember that blue sage has a long history of use among certain tribes and should be respected as such. The role of this group is to advise CPW and the Department of Natural Resources in developing and advancing strategies to achieve the CO-OP's vision. It is a way to keep danger at bay as well as provide a way to separate the sacred from the mundane. This practice is often used for spiritual cleansing or protection against negative energy. Spoken like a true colonising brute. i like this take a lot, and i was asking just for general use purposes and nothing spiritual/ritualistic, because that does cross a line. This can include unauthorized use of another culture's. When we pick sage, we always leave the root and say a prayer of thanks for our harvest. It only becomes cultural appropriation when an element of culture is adopted from a marginalized group without respect for its cultural meaning or significance or with the purpose of exploiting the culture 'Dressing in traditional clothes that do not belong to one's own culture or . Cultural appropriation is the adoption of certain elements from another culture without the consent of people who belong to that culture. If you're not Indigenous and therefore hesitating to strike a match to cleanse the bad vibes out of your apartment, here's what you need to know about burning white sage. In this article, we will explore the history of blue sage, examine how it has been appropriated, investigate the impact of its cultural appropriation, analyze the debate surrounding its use, explain the benefits of adopting it respectfully, identify alternatives to using blue sage without cultural appropriation, and investigate how to balance respect for culture with enjoyment of blue sage. Really interested in some others viewpoints but a lot of the responses here dont really go into it! Cultural appropriation or cultural celebration? 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. In other words, its important to leave the root, because thats how the plant grows back. if youre indigenous or have knowledge on this please lmk!! Terms & Conditions. @keyframes _1tIZttmhLdrIGrB-6VvZcT{0%{opacity:0}to{opacity:1}}._3uK2I0hi3JFTKnMUFHD2Pd,.HQ2VJViRjokXpRbJzPvvc{--infoTextTooltip-overflow-left:0px;font-size:12px;font-weight:500;line-height:16px;padding:3px 9px;position:absolute;border-radius:4px;margin-top:-6px;background:#000;color:#fff;animation:_1tIZttmhLdrIGrB-6VvZcT .5s step-end;z-index:100;white-space:pre-wrap}._3uK2I0hi3JFTKnMUFHD2Pd:after,.HQ2VJViRjokXpRbJzPvvc:after{content:"";position:absolute;top:100%;left:calc(50% - 4px - var(--infoTextTooltip-overflow-left));width:0;height:0;border-top:3px solid #000;border-left:4px solid transparent;border-right:4px solid transparent}._3uK2I0hi3JFTKnMUFHD2Pd{margin-top:6px}._3uK2I0hi3JFTKnMUFHD2Pd:after{border-bottom:3px solid #000;border-top:none;bottom:100%;top:auto} .s5ap8yh1b4ZfwxvHizW3f{color:var(--newCommunityTheme-metaText);padding-top:5px}.s5ap8yh1b4ZfwxvHizW3f._19JhaP1slDQqu2XgT3vVS0{color:#ea0027} The market has become larger as aspects of Pagan or New Age practices have seeped into more general practice and the number of Pagans has increased. Christmas trees are German, The Statue of Liberty is French, Spaghetti is Italian, Corn is Native American it's only cultural appropriation if you're claiming to be from a culture you aren't and wrapping yourself in it. Sage, sacred to Native Americans, is being used in purification rituals, raising issues of cultural appropriation. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. As Emily McFarlan Miller reported in a recent Religion News Service article, this is resulting in overharvesting and shortages of the plant, making it harder for Native Americans to find enough for their sacred ceremonies. Others choose to research the traditional uses of blue sage and incorporate them into their own practices. I'm fine with non-native people using whatever the hell they want. Crypto Wallet Development: Types, Features, and Popularity, 5 Ways AI is Detecting and Preventing Identity Fraud. But the way in which the idea was first. cultural appropriation, adoption of certain language, behaviour, clothing, or tradition belonging to a minority culture or social group by a dominant culture or group in a way that is exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical. /*# 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. Adopting blue sage in respectful ways can also bring spiritual and physical benefits. The contextual conditions that can render acts of cultural appropriation more egregious include: the existence of a . It was illegal for Natives to practice their religion until 1978 in the U.S., and many were jailed and killed just for keeping our ways alive, including my great-great grandfather, Ruth Hopkins, a Dakota/Lakota Sioux writer, tells Bustle. (Note: Is this article not meeting your expectations? It is important to note, however, that they should still be used in a respectful way and not taken out of their traditional contexts. Helen A. Berger is Affiliated Scholar at the Womens Studies Research Center, Brandeis University. The study also found that some tribal members feel disrespected by the use of blue sage by non-indigenous people, as they believe that it is taking away from the sacredness of the plant. Although Black musicians paved the way for the launch of rock-n-roll, their contributions to the artform were largely ignored in the 1950s and beyond. ._3Z6MIaeww5ZxzFqWHAEUxa{margin-top:8px}._3Z6MIaeww5ZxzFqWHAEUxa ._3EpRuHW1VpLFcj-lugsvP_{color:inherit}._3Z6MIaeww5ZxzFqWHAEUxa svg._31U86fGhtxsxdGmOUf3KOM{color:inherit;fill:inherit;padding-right:8px}._3Z6MIaeww5ZxzFqWHAEUxa ._2mk9m3mkUAeEGtGQLNCVsJ{font-family:Noto Sans,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:400;line-height:18px;color:inherit} (iStock by Getty Images) White Sage And Cultural Appropriation. | Pagans, to the contrary, have ritual areas that must be transformed from mundane to sacred use. Affiliated Scholar at the Women & # x27 ; re still currently battling to be to. When buying sage study found that the appropriation of blue sage has led to a loss of cultural.... ; re still currently battling to be allowed to perform smudging in hospitals any cleansing you 're respecting indigenous and... 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