Native American Heritage Month Celebration

Sage smudging has become a viral trend, common in movies, TV shows, social media, and cleansing rituals—people burning sage bundles in the hope of purifying space and clearing bad energy. Instead of healing, the appropriated use of saging in popular culture is having a harmful effect.

Indigenous communities have tended a relationship with white sage for thousands of generations. White sage (Salvia apiana) only occurs in southern California and northern Baja California, Mexico. Today, poachers are stealing metric tons of this plant from the wild to supply international demand. The documentary film Saging the World spotlights the ecological and cultural issues intertwined with white sage, centering on the voices of Native advocates who have long protected and cherished this plant.

This short documentary was produced by Rose Ramirez, Deborah Small, and the California Native Plant Society to foster awareness and inspire action for white sage. For more information on the film and ways to protect white sage, visit the CNPS Saging the World web pages. And get a preview of the film by watching the Saging the World Official Trailer.