“Saging the World” Movie Showing

Sponsored by UCLA’s Special Advisor to the Chancellor on Native American and Indigenous Affairs Mishuana Goeman and California Native Plant Society and Indigenous advocates.

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PANELISTS:

• • Heidi Lucero (Acjachemen and Mustun Ohlone)
  • Samantha Morales Johnson (Gabrielino Tongva)
  • Kimberly Morales Johnson (Gabrielino Tongva)
  • Nick Rocha (Gabrielino Shoshone)
  • Craig Torres (Tongva)

Sage smudging has become a viral trend. What’s the truth behind the smoke?

“Saging” has become 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 northernBaja California, Mexico. Today, poachers are stealing metric tons of this plant from the wild to supply international demand. Saging the World spotlights the ecological and cultural issues intertwined with white sage, centering the voices of Native advocates who have long protected and cherished this plant.

The 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 support white sage, visit cnps.org/sagingtheworld.