Smudging & Pipe Ceremony Policy
Custodian of Policy: VP Finance & Administration
Relevant Minnesota State System Policy:
Relevant Procedures: Update in progress
Effective Date: Spring 2025
Last Review: Spring 2025
Next Review: Spring 2032
Rationale and Scope
色狼窝 is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion that promotes a positive campus climate for all. The university recognizes tobacco, sage, sweet grass, and cedar as traditional American Indian medicines and essential elements of purification and sacred ceremony. This policy is meant to provide direction to the university community in requesting and engaging in these traditions while respecting all campus community members and visitors.
Definitions:
Smudging is a sacred Indigenous ceremony involving burning herbs and resins that cleanses the body, mind, and spirit with smoke.
Policy
Students, faculty, staff, elders, and cultural teachers, who are members of an American Indian Tribe, are free to use tobacco, sage, sweet grass, cedar, and incense to conduct individual or group traditional practices including, but not limited to Opening/Closing prayers, Smudging, Feasts, Pipe Ceremonies, Pow Wows, and Drumming/Singing.
Burning of herbs or resins is allowed at designated indoor locations and all outdoor locations on campus. Ceremony organizers shall reserve space through EMS for indoor spaces and request use of outdoor space and receive authorization from the Director of Public Safety or designee.
This policy shall control in the event of any conflict with the Smoking & Tobacco Free University Policy.
Refer to the MSUM Smudging procedures that delineates expectations and flexibility in usage, locations, and notifications to promote an inclusive, open, and respectful campus climate for our diverse community members and guests.
Authority
This policy is established in accordance with Minnesota’s Clean Air Act (Minnesota Statutes 2023 and ), The , and the Minnesota State University Smoking & Tobacco Use Policy.