A white sage plant typically grows no more than five feet tall and four feet wide. White sage grows as a perennial in those zones, but can also be grown as an annual in other zones. While hiking along a local trail, it’s likely we’ve stopped and enjoyed the wonderful aroma of white sage that’s common on sunny hillsides and in chaparral from Santa Barbara to Baja. A majority of White Sage on the market is illegally harvested from public lands, and often from private lands by trespassers who do not have permission. Smudging is an ancient practice of using smoke from a purifying herb to drive away negative forces and spirits. However, white sage seeds are notoriously bad at germinating. It is very difficult when companies make claims of sustainable harvest when we have no accountability within a very secretive trade. A tea using the crushed seeds and leaves is massaged into the scalp to treat dandruff, hair loss, dryness, and itchiness, while restoring the health of hair. If we the consumers want to be healed by the plants, then should we not want those who are harvesting to be treated fairly? Our intent is to assure the increasing abundance of the medicinal plants which are currently in decline due ... Read moreSpecies At-Risk List “It has been an absolute blessing and life changing journey to be working with Mountain Rose Herbs,” said Samantha. If you are lucky enough to live in southern California, most nurseries have a native plant section with a great variety of different sage plants. It's cultural appropriation of a threatened plant. White sage can be propagated in two ways: from seed, or by cuttings. It is for this reason that Mountain Rose Herbs made the decision in 2019 to procure 100% of our loose-leaf white sage from a special cultivation project in the rocky hills of San Diego County’s North County region. Conversely harvesting wild plants when regulated and when harvesters are treated fairly can result in beneficial relationships, for both consumer and harvester, and the harvester and the plants, as well as for the plants and their habitat. Throughout the health, wellness, and spiritual community there has been a new topic of concern: ethics. 99 White sage grows as a perennial in those zones, but can also be grown as an annual in other zones. White sage is considered sacred and still used by indigenous peoples for medical and ceremonial purposes, but did you know it’s now becoming endangered? Working together the management plan establishes its principle goals. But it took a disaster to launch Samantha and Robert into the business of cultivating organic white sage. Sensitive species include Los Angeles pocket mouse, San Diego black-tailed jackrabbit, American badger, coastal cactus wren, San Diego horned lizard, coastal western whiptail, Southern sagebrush lizard, San Bernardino ring-necked snake, coastal rosy boa, Coast patch-nosed snake, mountain yellow-legged frog, two-striped garter snake, Parry’s spineflower, and Plummer’s mariposa lily. Seasons/Availability White sage flowers bloom from late summer into the fall. At the same time, interest in herbalism has grown exponentially, sparking increased demand for herbs like Salvia apiana. White sage is becoming increasingly endangered in the wild because so many people are interested in using the leaves in smudging, so not only will you improve your garden by growing white sage, but you’re helping the environment. At the same time, there has been a meteoric rise in the commercialization of smudging, which has created a lucrative market for illegally harvested white sage, much of it taken from public lands. Elizabeth Moore. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing, and has been honored to receive a number of literary prizes including the esteemed Pushcart Prize, and an Individual Artists Award in Creative Writing from the Oregon Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. My journey to understand the complexity of white sage has been a learning journey to the many state and federal recognized tribes and the diverse projects and museums working hard to revive and celebrate cultural and ecological diversity that is more beautiful and powerful. The project began in 2007. Toss cuttings on the grill to flavor whatever you are cooking or use large stems to add an interesting flavor to shish-kabobs. This is a serious indicator of alarm for many who know and respect the ecological and cultural fragility of this plant. Google white sage, the primary ingredient in the mainstream smudging custom, and dozens of choices for sage sticks and bundles appear. 1. The only way this would be legal is if harvesting took place on private land with permission. The white sage is at the center of this conversation. We then began a dialogue on the issues and concerns over its recent popularity and I asked if she would provide me a quote to share from the perspective of an indigenous elder. … “Unfortunately,” said Samantha, “we have experienced two major fires: the 2003 Cedar Fire and the 2007 Witch Creek Fire. Though palo santo isn’t endangered, its habitat, tropical dry forest is threatened. United States, CA, San Francisco, Golden Gate Park, Strybing Arboretum. Beyond the environmental effects, using other herbs will give you more uses and scents. Greater Sage-Grouse. What I learned when I was in California and visited the Etiwanda Preserve was that it is the epicenter of the current commercial harvest. Wild white sage sources are being depleted and endangered. Also, as they mature, the plants do better with a wide and shallow pot instead of a narrow and deep pot. Crushed leaves were rubbed on the body to eliminate body odor; this was often done by Cahuilla men before they went hunting. Illegal harvesting occurs on both public and private property. [5] The over harvest of the species is commonly attributed to the increased popularity of new age spiritual practices that borrow the use of white sage from Native American cultures. USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center (NPDC). Bad news, spirituality Twitter—those crystals you bought online to pump positive ions into the air in your apartment may be contributing to unethical mining practices and poverty-level wages in third world countries. White sage grows in sandy, well-draining soil in direct sun. The fact that California white sage is not listed as endangered gives people the sense that it’s OK to harvest it lavishly and sell it for a profit. Most herb sticks that you buy at the store are made using white sage. Listed endangered species that may occur on the Preserve include the least Bell’s vireo, California gnatcatcher, the southwestern willow flycatcher, and San Bernardino Merriam’s kangaroo rat. The popularity of white sage, tied into tight bundles called smudge sticks, is not as simple as a nice smell. Here are some links you can visit on cultural appropriation in contemporary Neo-paganism and witchcraft and an article on land and identity in the US pagan and Native American communities. We discourage selling medicine plants, spiritual plants, because we don’t know if the person collected them in a good way, with a good heart. Current Facts White sage is categorized as a perennial evergreen shrub that is a member of the Sunflower family. In June of 2018, for example, several people were apprehended while packing out 400 pounds of white sage that they had stolen from the North Etiwanda Preserve in Rancho Cucamonga, California. White sage leaves were also used by the Diegueño as a shampoo to clean their hair and to keep it from turning gray. Although white sage is not listed on the Endangered Species List, conservationists are still concerned about the future survival and distribution of the species. I found the quote she shared from Barbara Drake that speaks to why they discourage selling of spiritual plants on a commercial scale because one does not know if the person who is collecting them is doing so in a good way, with a good heart as very profound. Meztli Projects is an Indigenous based arts and culture collaborative, based in Los Angeles. October 1, 2002. I would encourage those who are drawn to white sage to spend time researching the cultures that have tended its habitat and choose a smudge that you build a personal relationship with and question the idea of ethical wild crafting, considering the habitat, the harvester, the laws, the cultures, and the medicinal teachings. From this upbringing, she developed a lifelong passion for this special, sacred, at-risk desert plant. Read on to find out how to do these two forms of propagation! Black people burning White Sage is "not nice" and "inconsiderate" but it's not Cultural Appropriation when Black people do it. Meztli Projects brilliantly updated the Wikipedia page on white sage to provide information on the recent controversy, citing the illegal harvest arrests and current press on this issue over the last two years. Overharvesting by wildcrafters for sale to retail chain stores and brands is threatening the survival of white sage. His story quickly changed, and he claimed he no longer wildharvested but had a farm where he is now growing sage for his company. Endangerment. Inside Mountain Rose Herbs, We couldn’t agree more. It won’t stay that way though if harvesting practices don’t change. White sage has become so gentrified and has lost it's true meaning unless it's blessed & used in a traditional way which I'm 100% sure most non … Read on to find out how to do these two forms of propagation! Peterson. The Ethnobotany Project is a collaboration among Rose Ramirez, Deborah Small, and the Malki Baliena Press, working together to document southern California and northern Baja California’s Native people’s contemporary uses of native plants. The Truth About White Sage and Palo Santo by Shae Windsong April 07, 2019 Recently there has been a lot of buzz on the internet about white sage and palo santo—the two most popular smudging tools. Honestly, either option is fine. To profit from the increased demand, people are trespassing, cutting plants from roadsides, and encroaching into tribal lands. |, Medicinal Plant Conservation Certificate Program, The Center for Medicinal Plant Conservation, It’s Time to Rethink the ‘Trend’ of Burning Sage on Instagram – JudeBuxom.club. Farmers Samantha and Robert have been cultivating Salvia apiana since 2007. Although white sage is not listed on the Endangered Species List, conservationists are still concerned about the future survival and distribution of the species. Today, it seems to be devolving into the exact opposite. Although not listed as an endangered species, it’s considered to be a plant of special concern by conservationists and illegal to harvest from public lands. One of the most active voices in the social media outcry is the IG @Meztliprojects. The most popular smudging herb is white sage; however, white sage is becoming increasingly endangered in recent years. It can be frustrating when attempts to inform stores who sell sage bundles respond that they are getting their sage from those that claim sustainable harvesting techniques and have all the right verbiage on their social media and websites. Surrounded by four other organic farms, the largest being 28,000 acres, it is a land of amazing views. Endangered species lists are compiled by the government. It’s not uncommon to have a germination rate of 20-30%. 99 The first piece of false information swirling around out there is that white sage is endangered, this is actually not true. A first step for a buyer or consumer is to ask to see a permit. White sage is becoming increasingly endangered in the wild because so many people are interested in using the leaves in smudging, so not only will you improve your garden by growing white sage, but you’re helping the environment. But if you have white sage growing in your own back yard, you would know because you would be taking care of it.” – Barbara Drake, Tongva Elder. BLACK PEOPLE HAD NO POWER OVER INDIANS. According to the USDA, white sage is not endangered, threatened, or even at risk at this time( 2). It wasn’t officially legal for American Natives to practice their religion – which includes burning sage – until 1978. Two publications have resulted so far: a 2010 large-scale calendar and a book in 2015. Most important to note is that it can be grown, and if it is to be in any form of commercial trade and certainly on the scale it is now, the only sustainability claims should be that it is coming from a cultivated source, and a buyer should always visit the farm to verify the claim. The Management Plan for the preserve acknowledges that the area is considered to be a sacred site by the Gabrielino-Shoshoni Nation and Serrano people and is currently being used for cultural purposes. There are countless medicinal and healing plants in the Americas, however, certain plants are known to hold stronger powers above others and are capable of profound teachings and healing. This statement also tends to inspire objections, since white sage isn't technically endangered, according to both United Plant Savers and the San Diego Botanic Garden — … White Sage Bundle or Loose Leaf? Seed is the most common way to grow new plants. Consumers and retailers need to understand laws in regards to wild plants because even if one’s techniques are sustainable, if it is not permitted, then it is illegal. 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