Are the SF police targeting the use of the sacred sage smudge stick at Occupy SF

Are the San Francisco police targeting the use of the sacred sage smudge stick at Occupy San Francisco?

Yesterday, the arrest of an Indigenous elder for using the sacred sage smudge stick was threatened, and could have happened, except for the intervention of the National Laywers Guild observer and a video camera.

One of the first things I noticed when I arrived at Occupy San Francisco was the meditation circle. A smudge stick, or sage, is used. It passively burns, similar to incense or a cigarette and is passed around. As I sat in the circle and smelled the aroma of the sage I felt an incredible sense of calm and then a great connection with the people and energy around me, and the energy coming together around the world against an unjust system. I began to understood the power of the sage smudge stick, an ancient practice used for healing and calming for thousands of years. People long ago realized the intense effect the aroma of a plant can have on the body. And the sage smudge stick is a religious practice, protected under the constitution of the U.S. and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act.

Mr. Hernandez, a.k.a Purple, one of the Occupy SF campers, was in that meditation circle. It is rumored that he may even be the person who actually brought the sage to the group. It is clear now also that he comes from indigenous ancestry. The next night, after my first introduction to the meditation circle, was the police raid. I watched what seemed like over a hundred police in riot gear raid our peaceful camp. They didn’t do much except stand around in a line and look intimidating, as far as I could see. But something different was going on around the corner. Purple was apparently holding his sage with him, appropriately in a situation such as this because of its calming effect. Apparently, one of the policeman targeted Purple for carrying the sage. Next thing I hear is that someone was knocked to the ground and beat with a police baton. It was Purple. That was last week.

Purple has been in jail for over a week, despite the 48 hour arraignment rule (weekends and holidays don’t count). One of his original charges was assault with a deadly weapon, and the deadly weapon was his sage smudge stick. Though his bail was reduced to 50,000 instead of double that, and high level political officials claim that there was unjustified violence against him, he is still in jail. He needs visitors this weekend and support. Check Occupysf.com for more information.

Yesterday, Running Wolf, an indigenous tribal elder and activist, participated with thousands of other people in the “Foreclose Wall Street march” in San Francisco’s financial district. As he tried to partake in the sacred practice of using the sage for its healing energy, they threatened to arrest him also. And if there were not a video camera and a National Lawyers Guild Lawyer, they probably would have done so. See for yourself here. The widely known and loved civil rights attorney, Tony Serra, I am told, will be taking Purple’s case.