Smudging

Smudging and Other Indigenous Ceremonial Practices Involving Fire or Smoke at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM)

If you have any follow-up questions about smudging after consulting the guidelines, please email indigenous.utm@utoronto.ca.  

Introduction

Indigenous ceremonial practices – including but not limited to smudging, ceremonial fires, lighting the qulliq, and pipe ceremonies – are welcome across University of Toronto campuses. Access to ceremonial elements is an important part of many Indigenous peoples’ way of life. 

The University acts in accordance with the exemptions in the Smoke Free Ontario Act, 2017 for Indigenous persons (or non-Indigenous persons accompanied by an Indigenous person) smoking of holding lighted tobacco for the purpose of carrying out traditional Indigenous cultural or spiritual purposes. 

Supporting Smudging and other Indigenous ceremonial practices involving fire or smoke is in accordance with the following: 

For concerns related to these policies, please contact EHS at UTM – weiting.shek@utoronto.ca 

Types of Indigenous Ceremonies That Take Place on Campus

Smudging involves burning traditional medicines like sage, sweetgrass, tobacco, and cedar to produce cleansing smoke for the body, mind, and spirit. It also clears spaces of negative energies. Smudging on campus may take place for various reasons, including but not limited to: 

  • Event preparations 
  • Personal reasons 
  • Classroom activities 
  • Purifying spaces 

Examples of other ceremonies that happen on campus, including but are not limited to are: 

  • Outdoor ceremonial fires 
  • Lighting the qulliq 
  • Pipe ceremonies

The person responsible for conducting the ceremony should have previous experience conducting an Indigenous ceremony or be accompanied by someone who does. The ceremony should only be facilitated by an Indigenous person.

Recommended Spaces for Indoor Ceremonies

Each campus has rooms or spaces designed for smudging, qulliq lighting, and pipe ceremonies. Community members are encouraged to review the use of these spaces first, which on the UTM campus are located in the Maanjiwe nendamowinan building, suites #2129 and #6102. These are spaces with mechanical ventilation which are better suited to dilute the smoke and scents that may be produced. 

Some areas on campus house equipment or activities that are more sensitive to smoke or present a greater fire risk than others. It is advisable to consider alternatives to these kinds of spaces, including but not limited to athletic facilities or areas where aerobic activity is taking place, kitchens or food preparation spaces, labs, 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 or where there may be an increased presence of individuals with respiratory conditions, and animal care facilities or near animals.

Spaces for Ceremonial Fires & Outdoor Ceremonies

UTM has created two spaces dedicated to Indigenous ceremonies and land-based teachings. The Tipi and The Teaching Lodge, both located on Principal’s Road. The Tipi is considered a sacred space for the Indigenous community and is intended to be used for ceremonial purposes. The Tipi houses a ‘smokeless’ fire pit in lieu of a traditional fire pit. 

The Teaching Lodge provides a space for land-based teachings but can be used for a wider range of activities. The Lodge is larger than The Tipi and houses two wood stoves to keep the space warm during winter months. 

UTM can explore the possibilities for outdoor ceremonies or ceremonial fires to be conducted outside of these designated spaces. These ceremonies or ceremonial fires will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and must follow the Open-Air Burning By-law as set forth by The City of Mississauga. 

Efforts are ongoing to increase access to smudging and other ceremonies for the Indigenous community on campus. If you are a U of T Indigenous community member and encountering challenges finding a place to practice, please connect with the UTM Office of Indigenous Initiatives: indigenous.utm@utoronto.ca 

Notification Process

Some people may be sensitive or allergic to the smoke created during ceremonies involving smoke or fire, so whenever possible, please communicate openly with those around you.

 Advance notice for planned events helps create awareness and prevent disruption, such as a triggered fire alarm. At UTM, whenever possible, please follow these steps: 

  • To schedule use of The Tipi or Teaching Lodge, connect with the UTM Office of Indigenous Initiatives at indigenous.utm@utoronto.ca 
  • Prior to an indoor ceremony or outdoor ceremony not taking place within Tipi or Teaching Lodge, provide 48 hours’ notice to – brandon.coughlin@utoronto.ca 
  • Notification posters (indoor ceremonies only). These are to be displayed on all entrances to the room and/or surrounding area. Advanced notice can be posted on the building entrance in addition to the immediate area.