r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/MelanieWalmartinez • 3h ago

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

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u/Aggressive_Tear_769 2h ago

I've been in this situation, my parents were all "peace, love, plants, crystals and scents" and we lived in a community with more people like that.

This kind of blessing felt very loving to me, I would know the person and what their intentions were.

Of course there are expectations but I understood that even if the magic wasn't real, the care and love was. Compare that to having to perform Christianity and having to sit through church where an old guy shouted at a crowd and I'd take the blessing every single time.

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u/WalkAffectionate2683 2h ago

I got a catholic education and never an old man shouted at me lol.

Though that made me atheist as fuck haha

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u/Pandalicious1234 2h ago

If you study the bible hard enough you come back around to atheist. Happened to me. Brought up baptist

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u/F4113n54v102 2h ago

Did he whisper in your ear perhaps?

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u/WalkAffectionate2683 2h ago

Nah just speaking normally. But actually yeah they were pretty chill / silent.

The church was so echoing you could hear someone silent farting from the other side. 

Though the church organ was loud as fuck. 

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u/RelevantDress 2h ago

For real, Ive been around a lot of spiritual and religious people in my life and nothing was oppressive or forced on me, except for Christianity. My pastor beat me when I missed sunday church and said I would end up in hell unless I cleaned up my act.

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u/Cosmic_Cosmos82 2h ago

Wait your PASTOR???!? That's INSANE. Wtf

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u/HistoryBuff678 1h ago

I think you have got to the crux of why many non-native people would appreciate a smudging, but not some Christian prayers. (I didn’t mind prayers either.)

It’s just the world has seen so many fake Christians who weaponize the Christianity “club” for horrible stuff that frankly has nothing to do with Christianity. That is disturbing.

Indigenous practices don’t have that fakeness about them that some of Christianity (and some other religions) have.

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u/Aggressive_Tear_769 3m ago

I don't know, it feels like you're putting Native Americans on a pedestal even though they can be just as fake and abusive as some Christians.

It's about dialogue, a chance to understand the deeper intention beyond just doing it "cus it's right" or "It's tradition"

It's just easier in a smaller community

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u/rozyputin 57m ago

That's so wonderful.

Not the old man yelling bit, not cool