Smudging and Pipe Ceremony - Indigenous Initiatives

York University welcomes and celebrates Smudging and Pipe Ceremonies across all campuses.

What is Smudging?

Smudging is an Indigenous cultural ceremony that has been practiced and passed down through generations. Many Indigenous people smudge to feel grounded and connect to Creator while clearing away negative emotions, thoughts, feelings, and most importantly, to feel present. People participate in smudging for many reasons including for example at the beginning of a gathering, in preparation for a difficult discussion or for personal reasons.

The ceremony involves the burning of medicines that may include sage, sweetgrass, tobacco or cedar. The medicine is placed in an earthenware vessel and lit. The burning medicine produces a small amount of smoke. The smoke produces a distinctive scent that dissipates relatively quickly.

Smudging is always voluntary. If you choose to refrain from participating, you can stay in the room or leave the area during the ceremony in a quiet manner that respects ceremony participants.

Some people have scent sensitivities, and some have strong allergic reactions to the smoke produced during ceremonies. Whenever possible, people conducting a ceremony are asked to please communicate openly with those in close proximity to the ceremony site.

There are various ways Indigenous people smudge, typically the smoke is waved over the body and passed to the next participant. We pull the smoke over our eyes to see good things, our ears to hear good things, over our hearts to feel good things, our feet to walk in a good way, and over all of our body to be in a good way. If you wear glasses, some people choose to remove them and smudge them as well.

What are Pipe Ceremonies?

Pipe Ceremonies are led by Pipe Carriers and held for various reasons including asking for blessings, marking and elevating intentions, starting an important journey, or seeking guidance.

Notification Process: Being a Good Neighbour Being a good neighbour means whenever possible, letting the people around you know that you practice smudging regularly/semi-regularly.

In personal and dedicated spaces, there is no need for advance notice where there is no smoke detector.

In medium and large-sized ceremonies (more than 5 people), 72 hours advance notice to the AVP Indigenous Initiatives at avpii@yorku.ca is to be provided.

Outdoor ceremonies are allowed on all campuses without prior notice but need to take place no closer than 9 metres to any building entrance.

Read the full Smudging and Pipe Ceremony policy and procedure here.

If you are experiencing any issues, or have further questions please email the office of AVPII at avpii@yorku.ca

Frequently Asked Questions

Smudging should only be done when and if an Indigenous person requests or initiates the ceremony and should be led by Indigenous community members only. However, anyone can be invited and welcomed to participate in this ceremony. It is always voluntary, should you not wish to participate in a ceremony, you may remain in the room, quiet while the ceremony takes place, or quietly exit the space while the ceremony is going on.

York University welcomes Indigenous People’s right to smudge on all of its campuses however there are spaces in which smudging cannot take place for a variety of reasons including the following:

Athletic facilities or areas where aerobic activity is taking place;

Kitchens or food preparation spaces;

Laboratory facilities;

Libraries where smoke may impact rare books or other key archives;

Mechanical or industrial workshop spaces where there may be an increased risk of fire;

Medical clinics where there may be an increased presence of individuals with respiratory conditions.

There are spaces in which the university must be notified for various reasons. Spaces, including private rooms that use smoke detectors as their fire detection system must be cleared by facilities services to be used for smudging or pipe ceremonies. This may require temporarily bypassing of fire systems for the duration of an event.

Facilities service maintains a listing of spaces that use smoke detectors. Facilities also provide a copy of this list to the department of Indigenous Initiatives. Leads must email the University Building and Fire Code Compliance office (firesafe@yorku.ca) and the AVP Indigenous Initiatives (avpii@yorku.ca) to request clearance of these spaces for smudging at least five business days in advance of the ceremony.

Smudging ceremonies do not produce an overwhelming amount of smoke. The ceremony leader will share details about how the smudge works and you can choose to quietly leave the space of the ceremony before it begins, and return after the smoke has dissipated and you are comfortable.