St. Paul schools to allow Native American smudging ritual

The burning of sage and other Native American medicines — the cultural practice known as smudging — received its official blessing Tuesday for students and staff members across the St. Paul Public Schools.

The school board voted 6-0 to support a student- and parent-driven campaign to allow individuals or groups to engage in ceremonies throughout the state's second-largest school district.

Smudges have been conducted informally at some schools — most notably at Johnson Senior High, where students took the fight to the principal's office — and are seen as a way to clear minds and to cleanse classrooms, hallways and other spaces.

But by enshrining the right for all to smudge as part of district policy, St. Paul broke new ground on the issue Tuesday. Supporters hope it could serve as a "spark and inspiration" for other school systems to follow, John Bobolink, supervisor of the district's American Indian Education Program, said Tuesday.

In July, Tim Brown, principal of American Indian Magnet School, told school board members: "[Smudging] sets the tone for the day. It purifies the energy."

A parent advisory council first raised the idea of the board giving smudging its official blessing in 2019 — the same school year that student leaders at Johnson High overcame objections to the practice by securing classroom space for ceremonies during the lunch hour.

Hallway posters declared, "Smudging Takes Place Here," and the entire school community was invited to participate, according to a student presentation in April at the Minnesota Indian Education Association's annual conference at Mystic Lake Center. Also on hand for the event was Superintendent Joe Gothard.

"For me to leave that day feeling like we were leaders in the state was a very good feeling — not me being a leader, but our students and our community being leaders," he said.

Duluth Public Schools also took similar action in the spring.

Ashlie Spears accompanied her younger brother Leonard, an Anishinaabe student at Johnson High, to the St. Paul school board meeting in June when the policy was introduced. She said then that the practice helped her with her sobriety, and she advised students to take it seriously when they participate.

"The medicine is real powerful," she said. "You have to smudge for the right reasons. You can't smudge because it's cool."

The policy takes effect for the coming school year and will require a staff member in each building to supervise at all times.

Also Tuesday, the school board did away with a requirement that employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 or tested weekly as many schools loosen pandemic protocols.

The recommendation recognized what the district deemed to be a successful vaccination campaign as well as the challenges of implementing a vaccine-or-testing policy.

Becky Schmidt, the district's student health care program manager, said 79% of employees have been vaccinated — a sign that the requirement had the desired effect of helping some who were hesitant decide to get the shots.

But the requirement also was difficult to enforce, and unions pushed back when test kits were not available, Schmidt said.

Jackie Turner, the district's operations officer, noted the policy applied to outside vendors, too, and could have put $6 million in contracted services in jeopardy.

Ramsey County still has a vaccine-or-testing policy in place for its employees. So, too, Minneapolis Public Schools, which hopes to release new guidelines soon.

St. Paul plans to have so-called rapid test kits available at the schools.

Earlier this month, the district announced it no longer is requiring students and staff members to quarantine if they come into close contact with someone infected by COVID — even if that student or staff member is unvaccinated.

If symptoms develop, however, individuals are advised to stay home, isolate from others and get tested, the district said.