A 17-year old teen has recently been told to stop his practice of smudging, a burning of a sage stick traditionally believed to help with cleansing, before school. Denying this First Nations student from smudging would mean denying him from participating in a spiritual ritual of his culture.
The teen lost his brother last year, and says his ritual of smudging helps him to take a more positive outlook on life. However, the fact that his school tells him not to smudge before school is taking his spiritual right away from him, and could leave him feeling embarrassed and ashamed of his culture.
Tell this Manitoba school to respect this First Nations student's spiritual ritual.