Ceremonial Burning
Smudging is a sacred ceremony that involved burning medicinal plants to cleanse and purify a person, place, or space. In support of the cultural and spiritual integrity of these traditions, UMass Amherst has designated procedures on campus for burning ceremonial cultural material offerings associated with rituals consistent with traditional ceremonies and cultural observances.
Members of the university community who want to engage in the burning of ceremonial cultural material offerings should review the following prior to activity. The following ensures that both the safety of the campus community and the cultural integrity of the ceremony is maintained.
Requirements to Burn Ceremonial Cultural Material Offerings:
The burning of ceremonial cultural materials on campus must meet the following requirements for use of a location and by an individual:
- The room must be equipped with a working fire sprinkler system and fire alarm system and/or may require prior review and inspection by EHS.
- Smoke detectors and fire alarms may not be covered or disabled before, during, or after the ceremony/observance.
- Receive clearance if using a campus building, including residential halls, excluding the Josephine White Eagle Cultural Center (JWECC)
- Individuals must know the location of the nearest fire extinguisher, fire alarm pull station, emergency exits, be aware of any nearby combustible materials and be familiar with operating a fire extinguisher.
- Individuals must be present throughout the time materials are burning and until they are fully extinguished.
- Individuals must have a non-combustible tray (e.g. metal, ceramic) and water nearby.
Each individual when burning ceremonial cultural materials must meet the following requirements, before, during and after.
- Before: Burning ceremonial cultural materials should be planned for indoor locations where it is possible to separately partition the space (e.g. by closing a door) and/or to ventilate the space (e.g. by opening a window). Prior to burning ceremonial cultural materials for a traditional/religious ceremony/observance, a notification sign must be posted on or near the door of the room where the event will take place. This document contains two signs for you use: intent to burn ceremonial materials (appendix A) or intent to burn sacred medicines (appendix B). Individuals/event organizers should know the location of the nearest fire extinguisher, fire alarm pull station, emergency exits and be aware of any nearby combustible materials.
- During: When burning ceremonial cultural materials, individuals/event organizers are asked to ensure that the process does not produce excessive smoke that may activate the fire alarm. The burning material should be held over or in a non-combustible tray (e.g. metal, ceramic) and a source of water must be available nearby. Steps should be taken to avoid smoke being released to other portions of the building (e.g. opening a window).
- After: Materials must be fully and completely extinguished and placed it in non-combustible container. The room or rooms used for the ceremony/observance must be well ventilated upon completion.
Use of University Buildings to Burn a Ceremonial Cultural Material Offerings
Individuals must receive clearance from EHS if using a campus building, including residential halls, excluding the Josephine White Eagle Cultural Center (JWECC) to burn ceremonial cultural materials.
Failure to Follow Procedure
Failure to comply with these procedures may result in the activation of the fire alarm system with subsequent evacuation of the building as well as other possible health and safety risks to the university community. The university reserves the right to pass on to anyone who is in violation of the policy some or all of the costs arising from that violation. Repeated failure to comply with this policy will result in referral to the Student Conduct and Community Standards Office or Human Resources.
Non-Combustible Methods of Smudging
The following are examples of non-combustible methods of smudging for Native American/First Nations religious and cultural practice.
- Smudge in a Bottle – The Four Sacred Medicines (sage, cedar, sweetgrass, tobacco) are placed in a spray bottle with water that can be used at any time within a building
- Sage – The Elder or Ceremony Leader distributes sage to each of the participants and collects after the session to burn outside of the building and respectfully return to the air
- Bowl of Water – Participants place tobacco in a bowl of water before a ceremony/observance and the Elder or Ceremony Leader takes the bowl of water with tobacco outside to respectfully return to the earth.
Please contact [email protected] to request approval to perform smudging on campus.