South High School opens with smudge ceremony

The All Nations Program of South High School welcomed students to the 2015-16 school year with a smudging ceremony on the football field Friday morning, Sept. 4. At South High School, there are three academic programs; the open program, liberal arts, and our All Nations program. Culturally specific, the Native American program has been in existence for more than 25 years at South. Students in the All Nations program smudge each morning to get their day started. Special ventilation is installed for this purpose. The smudging ceremony is a cleansing, in which sage is burned in a shell, the smoke is pulled in by participants head to foot and dissipates into the air. It’s a cleansing ritual that helps lift any negative energy. On Sept. 4 they invited the entire South student body to the football field as a welcome back to the school year. About 150+ participated. In the photo to the left sophomore, Brayan is getting smudged (pulling the smoke over him with his hands). In the photo above, South High Principal Aponte is demonstrating to the school’s newcomers—students who are brand new to the country, some less than six months. (Photos submitted)