Join us this Earth Day for the world premiere of Saging the World. This film spotlights the ecological and cultural issues intertwined with white sage, centering the voices of Native advocates who have long protected and cherished this plant.
“Saging” has become common in movies, TV shows, social media, and cleansing rituals –people burning sage bundles in the hope of purifying space and clearing bad energy. Instead of healing, the appropriated use of saging in popular culture is having a harmful effect. Indigenous communities have tended a relationship with white sage for thousands of generations. White sage (Salvia apiana) only occurs in southern California and northern Baja California, Mexico. Today, poachers are stealing metric tons of this plant from the wild to supply international demand.
The screening will include a panel discussion with Native advocates from the film, as well as a white sage plant giveaway.
The short documentary was produced by Rose Ramirez, Deborah Small, and the California Native Plant Society to foster awareness and inspire action for white sage.
This Earth Day, go from smudging to seeding as we come together to see plants not just as “resources,” but as “relationships.” For more information on the documentary and campaign, visit cnps.org/sagingtheworld.
The event is sponsored by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, Theodore Payne Foundation, California Botanic Garden and Tree of Life.
Covid-19 Safety at the Warner Grand Theatre
Attendees will be asked to wear masks at this event regardless of vaccination status.