For many contemporary Pagans, Native American spirituality was a practice they wanted to emulate because of its connection to the land, to a spirit world, and because it predates Christianity and is native to the region. 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 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. valter's osteria recipes; whiteland shirt andrew schulz; san bernardino superior court case search; private label pet products australia; sea palms . The line between celebration and appropriation gets crossed when there is the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices or ideas of one group by another, typically more dominant group. I noticed while doing my research in 1986 that white sage was sold at stores catering to the occult. Contemporary Paganism is a set of religions that base their practice on what is known about pre-Christian religions in Europe, mixed with literature, science fiction and personal inspiration. Some of the Pagan practitioners had received training from a Native American teacher. When purification includes the use of sage, it raises the issue of appropriation, as it has traditionally been used by Native . It was used because it was associated with Native American practice. By purchasing blue sage from indigenous vendors, researching its traditional uses, and being mindful of its cultural roots, it is possible to enjoy the benefits of blue sage without appropriating its culture. 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. In some of the rituals participants were already standing in the circle when this part of the ritual was done; in others they entered afterward. ago Spoken like a true colonising brute. It is a way to keep danger at bay as well as provide a way to separate the sacred from the mundane. Those who had been using sage returned to using either salt and water or rosemary for purification. Blue sage is a member of the Mint family (Lamiaceae). It is now being more widely marketed by stores such as Walmart and Anthropologie. Why is burning sage cultural appropriation? 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. From a historical perspective, the term that is typically used to describe the adoption of certain . Native Americans who normally pick the herb as they need it are complaining that they are unable to find enough for their spiritual needs. Cleansing is a way to provide a safe place to interact with the spirit world, which is always part of Pagan rituals. Cultural appropriation leads to a narrow look at other cultures and often exploitation of those cultures. Balancing respect for culture with enjoyment of blue sage is an important issue. Just don't pretend to do a sacred smudge ritual of something. 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. It's true: Indigenous people have been calling for the end of the commodification of sage for years, and its non-Native proponents always have an argument ready as to why it's not. Traditional dress and eagles feathers were two other examples of commonly appropriated items. White sage, which is sacred to a number of Native American tribes in the southwest United States, has been adopted by both some contemporary Pagans and New Age practitioners for purification rites. . and challenging what they describe as wanton cultural appropriation by non-Natives eager for a quick fix to the "dis-ease" associated . In some of the rituals participants were already standing in the circle when this part of the ritual was done; in others they entered afterward. Added to this, those who are new to Paganism are often unaware of the history of appropriation and are repeating the errors of an earlier generation of Pagans and using sage in their rituals. There are other ways to purify your space. Terms & Conditions. HTWC 1 yr. ago I have only lavender incense, is that considered cultural appropriation? 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. Even from a non economical standpoint i just see it as the best part of multiculturism. Possibly more importantly, rituals are meant to open up the individual to the spiritual or other world. It is important to consider the impact that the appropriation of blue sage has had on indigenous communities. For those who wish to avoid culturally appropriating blue sage, there are several other plants and herbs with similar properties that can be used instead. ._1sDtEhccxFpHDn2RUhxmSq{font-family:Noto Sans,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:400;line-height:18px;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-ms-flex-flow:row nowrap;flex-flow:row nowrap}._1d4NeAxWOiy0JPz7aXRI64{color:var(--newCommunityTheme-metaText)}.icon._3tMM22A0evCEmrIk-8z4zO{margin:-2px 8px 0 0} It is important to note, however, that they should still be used in a respectful way and not taken out of their traditional contexts. /*# sourceMappingURL=https://www.redditstatic.com/desktop2x/chunkCSS/IdCard.ea0ac1df4e6491a16d39_.css.map*/._2JU2WQDzn5pAlpxqChbxr7{height:16px;margin-right:8px;width:16px}._3E45je-29yDjfFqFcLCXyH{margin-top:16px}._13YtS_rCnVZG1ns2xaCalg{font-family:Noto Sans,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:400;line-height:18px;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex}._1m5fPZN4q3vKVg9SgU43u2{margin-top:12px}._17A-IdW3j1_fI_pN-8tMV-{display:inline-block;margin-bottom:8px;margin-right:5px}._5MIPBF8A9vXwwXFumpGqY{border-radius:20px;font-size:12px;font-weight:500;letter-spacing:0;line-height:16px;padding:3px 10px;text-transform:none}._5MIPBF8A9vXwwXFumpGqY:focus{outline:unset} I dont understand why people think cultural appropiateion is bad, its just one culture enjoying a product from another, if anything by me enjoying asian/indian incense i am stimulating their economy. Google white sage, the primary ingredient in the mainstream smudging custom, and dozens of choices for sage sticks and bundles appear. (iStock by Getty Images) White Sage And Cultural Appropriation. Within these religions nature is viewed as sacred, to be celebrated and protected. In addition, the study found that the appropriation of blue sage has led to a loss of cultural identity for some indigenous people. 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'm sorry that this doesn't directly address blue sage, however this is the best I can do broadly addressing the issue. Exclude from home page BNG staff 'No Celebrities Except Jesus': How Asbury Protected the Revival. 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. Cultural appropriation is not a modern concept; it has existed as long as culture itself. But some brands and shops continue to sell white sage, despite Native communities speaking out against it. /*# 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. When we pick sage, we always leave the root and say a prayer of thanks for our harvest. Sage, sacred to Native Americans, is being used in purification rituals, raising issues of cultural appropriation. Unlike cultural appropriation, strategic anti-essentialism can be practiced by both minority cultures and majority cultures. Purification can be done using a number of substances, including salt, rosemary and sometimes white sage. 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. .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} No, blue sage, white sage and any other sage is not cultural appropriation. Different Native communities use different medicines for smudging depending on where they are from, and not every culture uses white sage or smudges. It represents a continuing legacy of marginalizing and punishing Native spirituality, says Keene. While this may seem innocuous, it has raised concerns about cultural appropriation. In other words, its important to leave the root, because thats how the plant grows back. Those who had been using sage returned to using either salt and water or rosemary for purification. The past few years have certainly left many folks with the desire to rid their homes of negative energy. Blue sage (Salvia clevelandii) is a perennial herb native to California, Arizona, and Baja California, Mexico. It was illegal for Native . And it doesnt specifically refer to the burning of white sage, either. 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. . When it comes to blue sage, there is an argument that non-indigenous people are appropriating the plant by taking it out of its traditional context and using it for their own purposes. When I began my research in 1986, it was most commonly done using salt and water. Although this account of cultural appropriation is normative, cultural appropriation is often wrong only in a trivial sense. They then used salt and water to purify the circle. 'Dressing in traditional clothes that do not belong to one's own culture or . The phrase originated in the . 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. "Taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from someone else's culture without permission. it's cultural appropriation. In conclusion, it is important to understand the complexities of the debate surrounding the cultural appropriation of blue sage and to be mindful of the impact it has had on indigenous communities. But if you tend to poke around smoke cleansing social media circles, you've probably heard people ask (and might be wondering yourself): Is burning sage and smudging cultural appropriation? 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. 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 The plant sage, or Salvia, grows all around the world in different colors and variants. Its an important ceremonial purifying ritual or prayer created and practiced in many North American Indigenous cultures. ._9ZuQyDXhFth1qKJF4KNm8{padding:12px 12px 40px}._2iNJX36LR2tMHx_unzEkVM,._1JmnMJclrTwTPpAip5U_Hm{font-size:16px;font-weight:500;line-height:20px;color:var(--newCommunityTheme-bodyText);margin-bottom:40px;padding-top:4px;text-align:left;margin-right:28px}._2iNJX36LR2tMHx_unzEkVM{-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex}._2iNJX36LR2tMHx_unzEkVM ._24r4TaTKqNLBGA3VgswFrN{margin-left:6px}._306gA2lxjCHX44ssikUp3O{margin-bottom:32px}._1Omf6afKRpv3RKNCWjIyJ4{font-size:18px;font-weight:500;line-height:22px;border-bottom:2px solid var(--newCommunityTheme-line);color:var(--newCommunityTheme-bodyText);margin-bottom:8px;padding-bottom:8px}._2Ss7VGMX-UPKt9NhFRtgTz{margin-bottom:24px}._3vWu4F9B4X4Yc-Gm86-FMP{border-bottom:1px solid var(--newCommunityTheme-line);margin-bottom:8px;padding-bottom:2px}._3vWu4F9B4X4Yc-Gm86-FMP:last-of-type{border-bottom-width:0}._2qAEe8HGjtHsuKsHqNCa9u{font-size:14px;font-weight:500;line-height:18px;color:var(--newCommunityTheme-bodyText);padding-bottom:8px;padding-top:8px}.c5RWd-O3CYE-XSLdTyjtI{padding:8px 0}._3whORKuQps-WQpSceAyHuF{font-size:12px;font-weight:400;line-height:16px;color:var(--newCommunityTheme-actionIcon);margin-bottom:8px}._1Qk-ka6_CJz1fU3OUfeznu{margin-bottom:8px}._3ds8Wk2l32hr3hLddQshhG{font-weight:500}._1h0r6vtgOzgWtu-GNBO6Yb,._3ds8Wk2l32hr3hLddQshhG{font-size:12px;line-height:16px;color:var(--newCommunityTheme-actionIcon)}._1h0r6vtgOzgWtu-GNBO6Yb{font-weight:400}.horIoLCod23xkzt7MmTpC{font-size:12px;font-weight:400;line-height:16px;color:#ea0027}._33Iw1wpNZ-uhC05tWsB9xi{margin-top:24px}._2M7LQbQxH40ingJ9h9RslL{font-size:12px;font-weight:400;line-height:16px;color:var(--newCommunityTheme-actionIcon);margin-bottom:8px} 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Feel free to cleanse or purify or scent or whatever using anything you want. I'm fine with non-native people using whatever the hell they want. They then used salt and water to purify the circle. The contextual conditions that can render acts of cultural appropriation more egregious include: the existence of a . More mainstream religions have buildings, such as churches or synagogues, where they maintain sanctuaries for religious purposes only. 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. Other types of sage are completely okay! In the 21st century, cultural appropriationlike globalizationisn't just inevitable; it's potentially positive. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. One example that Moody-Ramirez gave is when designers have models wear . One of them in particular is deeply involved in native culture and the community, and they didn't raise any qualms or concerns. When using medicinal plants, its important that the plant is used sustainably. This can include unauthorized use of another culture's. Why is Good UI/UX Design Imperative for Business Success? Cultural appropriation often is viewed as a problem of . without permission. One of the ways it can become more serious is through the presence of what we term 'amplifiers'. However, much of the public remains confused about what the term actually means. Press J to jump to the feed. Note that the issue is specifically White Sage. Getty. The smoke is then waved over the area you want to cleanse. It represents a continuing legacy of marginalizing and punishing Native spirituality. What kind of sage is not cultural appropriation? Still, what most people think of today as cultural appropriation is the opposite: a member of the dominant culture an insider taking from a culture that has historically been and is still . The sage plant is native to the Mediterranean region but has grown across the Americas for ages. 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 . 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. identity. So that raises another factor, I guess. 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. Why are your so afraid of possibly offending? For many contemporary Pagans, Native American spirituality was a practice they wanted to emulate because of its connection to the land, to a spirit world, and because it predates Christianity and is native to the region. This is something known as a closed practice, something those who are not within specific cultures are not welcome to use under any circumstances. All rights reserved. Wondering whether burning sage is cultural appropriation is a fair question long story short, burning sage is problematic for a few reasons, the biggest being cultural insensitivity and environmental unsustainability. 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