Is it cultural appropriation for me to burn white sage?

This is a question worth taking seriously, and the fact that you are asking it already says something good about how you are approaching your practice.

The honest answer is nuanced, and it depends on what you mean by “burning white sage” and what tradition you are drawing from.

The distinction that matters

Smudging is a specific ceremonial practice belonging to various Indigenous peoples of North America. It involves particular protocols, prayers, intentions, and contexts that are part of living spiritual traditions. For non-Indigenous practitioners to adopt smudging as though it were a generic purification technique, without acknowledgment of its origins and without any connection to those traditions, is generally considered appropriative by many Indigenous communities and scholars. This is not simply a matter of political sensitivity; it is a matter of respect for people whose practices were historically suppressed and criminalised, and who are now watching elements of those same practices sold commercially to outsiders.

White sage itself (Salvia apiana) is also experiencing pressure from overharvesting, driven significantly by commercial demand. Sustainable sourcing is a real concern, not a symbolic one.

What this means for your practice

If your intention is specifically to perform the smudging ceremony as practised by Indigenous peoples, that is a closed practice, and the right response is not to find a workaround but to leave it to those it belongs to.

If your intention is to purify and cleanse a space or yourself using smoke from a plant, there are many traditions you can draw from without appropriation. European folk traditions have long used herbs such as garden sage (Salvia officinalis, distinct from white sage), rosemary, thyme, juniper, mugwort, and lavender for smoke cleansing. These carry their own genuine histories and correspondences. Incense traditions from your own cultural background, or from traditions you have a genuine connection to, are equally valid.

A practical note

Growing your own garden sage or rosemary is inexpensive, sustainable, and gives you a deeply personal connection to the plant you are working with. A bundle of homegrown rosemary tied with cotton string and dried for two weeks is an excellent purification tool with no ethical complications and a fragrance many people find more pleasant than white sage in any case.

You can have a rich smoke-cleansing practice. It does not need to borrow from traditions that have asked for it back.