The Native American ritual of “smudging” or burning sage to clear the air of “bad energy” turns out to ward away more than just “negative vibes.” A recent study showed burning the herb in a room for an hour reduced the number of airborne bacteria by a whopping 94%. The room remained almost entirely disinfected for over 24 hours, and seven strains of disease-causing bacteria previously present in the room still could not be detected 30 days later. ”We have demonstrated that using medicinal smoke

This morning, we welcomed Kim Wheatley, Anishinaabe Ojibway Grandmother from Shawanaga First Nation Reserve to bless our building with a smudging ceremony. As we are situated on Anishinaabeg land, we respect and recognize this traditional practice as an important part of the Museum reopening, although smudging is not practiced by all Nations across Turtle Island. | Royal Ontario Museum