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Plants such as sage, sweetgrass, and cedar are important for ceremonies and prayer. They’re also readily available online and even at chain stores, marketed as methods to reduce negative energy or for some vague DIY cleansing ritual. Non-Native people are buying them with little information about what they actually do or how they’re used. Some Native people say some natural medicines are getting harder to find. There’s at least one instance of illegal sage harvesting in California. We’ll discuss the traditional roles and uses of Native medicines and find out if there’s a way to get the message across to those who think such ceremonies are open for anyone.
Guests:
Mary Annette Pember (Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) – Independent journalist and writer
Neelou Malekpour – Owner of Smudged
Tipiziwin Tolman (Dakota and Lakota) – Owner of Haipažaža Pȟežuta
Kat High (Hoopa descendant) – Traditional Basket weaver and storyteller
Break 1 Music: Chicken Dance (song) Sweetgrass (artist) Follow The Trial (album)
Break 2 Music: Little Earthings (song) The Jir Project Band (artist) Sun Child (album)
First time listener. I tuned in specifically for the Smudging topic to support Kat. I’m a certified naturalist and interpretive guide. I focus on California native plants and how indigenous cultures used them in their daily lives. I am Tarahumara/Tepehuanes but focus on Tongva and surrounding cultures because my work is centered in Los Angeles.
On a recent outing to Olvera Street, I saw many of the vendors with White Sage (Salvia apiana) bundles for sale. Most weren’t even dry. They were still in the transpiration stage from being freshly gathered. I asked the shopkeeper if he knew where his vendor sourced the material, he said he didn’t know.
Poaching of White Sage (Saliva apiana), Cliff Lettuce (Dudleya farinosa) and even California Redwoods ( Sequoia sempervirens) from public lands have made the news.
This speaks not just to the disconnect of the spiritual process, but also to the failure to recognize plants as living, breathing beings. It speaks to the blindness we have to the connection of place, plants and people.
Wherever you are, find out what your local spiritual plants are and grow your own. Find local elders and respectfully ask for instruction. No matter if the answer is yes or no, accept the answer with gratitude.