Description

Palo Santo (also known as bursera graveolens, a sacred wood from South America)

Because smudging is a sacred Indigenous ritual and palo santo is so rooted in ceremonial practices, it’s absolutely vital that palo santo is used correctly and respectfully. Despite the recent upsurge in use, palo santo has been a staple in Indigenous culture for centuries and anyone looking to use palo santo in their rituals should know the history and correct use of the wood before adopting it in their lives. Any person who is not a part of that indigenous community should not use the word “Smudging”, you can say “smoke cleansing”

To start, you should educate yourselves on the history of Indigenous cultures in the United States. This will include confronting with difficult themes like colonization and cultural appropriation. To this day, many Indigenous people still suffer systemic consequences of losing their land to colonial violence. By educating yourself on their ongoing struggles, you aren’t just blindly adapting their practices that conveniences your lifestyle. Invest in the actual wellbeing of the people whose culture palo santo stems from and pay your respects to them by advocating for better care for Indigenous communities in your city.