r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/MelanieWalmartinez • Sep 01 '26

Video Students get smudged by indigenous elders for peace and blessings throughout the year

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u/Iluvatar-Great Sep 01 '26

My reaction as a European: "Wow this is interesting. It's so cool how different parts of the world have different traditions."

Me looking at comments: "What the actual fuck???"

72

u/Fabichupi Sep 01 '26

It's so fucking weird right? Even if I didn't recognize it as an indigeneous ritual, my first reaction was: how interesting, I wonder which culture this is. But some americans in these comments immediately assume that it must be people from their own culture, therefore imposing their own morals and cultural norms onto the situation, They don't even consider that other cultures exist.

I saw some defending themselves with the lack of context in the post (you didn't say it was a native school). But they still don't see the issue, that they have such an American White centric view of things, that the most probable scenario in this post is that it's white Americans.

7

u/TheBabySealsRevenge Sep 02 '26

This is a very common one too and anyone can do it if they feel spiritually inclined.

Saining is a Celtic ritual that is the same thing for the same purpose.

Many cultures use incense instead.

People need to chill for real.

5

u/More-Lime1888 Sep 01 '26

Same. I am Middle Eastern and had your same reaction. Wtf are those comments?

5

u/CresseliaMelodia Sep 01 '26 edited Sep 01 '26

If it makes you feel better, it’s mostly Americans complaining about this. We have ass backwards views about cultural exchange 😭

2

u/kw3lyk Sep 02 '26

I feel like this is a big difference between America and Canada that many Americans are probably unaware of. In Canada multiculturalism is literally enshrined in law through the Canadian Multiculturalism Act. Every year where I live there is a big multicultural festival where a whole bunch of groups set up pavilions across the city where they put various aspects of their culture on display like food, performance art, historical information and so on. Every spring the First Nations groups in the area come together to host a massive pow-wow in an arena and they invite anyone and everyone to come. Being proud of your cultural heritage and understanding that others have pride in their culture is just a normal Canadian upbringing, as far as I'm concerned. It's just wild to me that people are getting offended here over a lady burning some sage.

7

u/CornisaGrasse Sep 01 '26

Most Christians can't distinguish between religion and culture, because the two things are the same in their religion. Except when they practice pagan culture at Christmas and Easter and don't even realize it.

4

u/More-Lime1888 Sep 02 '26

Jesus who was born in summer, watching them celebrating in winter be like “wtf are they celebrating?”

3

u/CornisaGrasse Sep 02 '26

Pool Party for Jesus!