The Sacred Practice Turned Instagram Trend: Smudging’s Cultural Appropriation Debate
Smudging—burning sacred herbs (traditionally white sage) to cleanse spaces of negative energy—became wellness culture’s spiritual hygiene ritual, with millions posting videos of smoke wafting through homes, crystals, and bodies. The practice originates from Indigenous North American sacred ceremonies (Lakota, Chumash, and other tribes), where specific protocols, prayers, and spiritual authority govern smoke cleansing.
Instagram’s wellness explosion (2015-2019) popularized decontextualized smudging: white influencers burning mass-produced sage bundles ($5-15 from Amazon/Urban Outfitters) while declaring “cleansing my space of bad vibes!” without acknowledging Indigenous origins, understanding sacred protocols, or supporting Native communities. The term “smudging” itself is specific to Indigenous practice—smoke cleansing with non-sacred herbs can’t ethically be called smudging.
Cultural Appropriation vs. Appreciation
The smudging trend ignited fierce cultural appropriation debates. Native activists and educators called out the harm: white sage (Salvia apiana) was overharvested to endangered status by commercial operations to meet wellness demand, threatening ecosystems and disrupting tribes’ access to ceremonial plants. Meanwhile, Native people practicing ancestral ceremonies faced religious persecution—paradox of white Americans freely burning sage while Indigenous peoples’ ceremonies were banned until 1978 (American Indian Religious Freedom Act).
Critics emphasized: if you’re not Indigenous and haven’t been taught proper protocols by Indigenous knowledge-keepers, you’re appropriating closed spiritual practices. Alternatives exist—rosemary, lavender, garden sage (not white sage), sound baths, visualization, opening windows. Many white practitioners responded defensively (“it’s just energy cleansing!”), missing the point: the harm isn’t the smoke, it’s extracting sacred practices from their cultural context while Indigenous communities face continued marginalization.
The environmental crisis compounded ethical concerns: wild white sage in California faced overharvesting, with 90%+ commercially sold sage poached from public lands. Retailers like Sephora, Free People, and Anthropologie profited from sacred plant sales while pricing out Native practitioners.
By 2019-2021, consciousness shifted: Indigenous-owned businesses (Bow & Arrow Brand, Native Apothecary, Eighth Generation) offered ethically grown sage and education, influencers issued apologies and redirected followers, and “smudge stick” slowly got replaced with “smoke cleansing bundle” for non-Native practitioners.
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