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Smudging Ceremony at North West College

Mar 12, 2018 | 10:54 AM

Smudging Ceremony at the Mistikwa Centre, Battlefords Campus will be held March 14th from 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.

Smudging is a tradition, common to many First Nations, which involves the burning of one or more medicines gathered from the earth. The four sacred medicines used in First Nations’ ceremonies are tobacco, sage, cedar and sweetgrass. The most common medicines used in a smudge are sweetgrass, sage and cedar.

A community Grandmother presented the following as the steps and rationale for this cleansing process we call smudge to Niji Mahkwa School in Winnipeg:

• We smudge to clear the air around us.

• We smudge to clean our minds so that we will have good thoughts of others.

• We smudge our eyes so that we will only see the good in others.

• We smudge our ears so that we will only listen to positive things about others.

• We smudge our mouths so that we will only speak of well of others.

• We smudge our whole being so we will portray only the good part of our self through our actions.

Smudging allows people to stop, slow down, become mindful and centred. This allows people to remember, connect and be grounded in the event, task or purpose at hand. Smudging also allows people to let go of something negative. Letting go of things that inhibit a person from being balanced and focused comes from the feeling of being calm and safe while smudging. 

Smudging is always voluntary. People should never be forced or pressured to smudge. It is completely acceptable for a person to indicate that he/she does not want to smudge and that person may choose to stay in the room and refrain or leave the room during a smudge. Respect for all is a guiding principal of this Indigenous ceremony and all are welcome to participate. 

Classroom 39/40