454 The Professional Counselor | Volume 13, Issue 4 Smudging: A Case Example Kiah, a 15-year-old Indigenous youth, sought out her school counselor, who was non-Indigenous. The client had been struggling with identity issues since hearing that there was going to be a schoolsponsored powwow at the end of the school year. Some of her friends asked her if she would be dancing, as they knew she was Native American. However, she moved from the reservation to the city over 10 years ago and didn’t know much about her culture or dancing. As a result, she was feeling disconnected and anxious about who she was as a Native American. In an effort to support Kiah, the school counselor researched and read articles regarding Native American identity and also reached out to the school district’s Native American education director in order to glean ideas on how to effectively work with the student. The director advised the counselor to engage Kiah in an activity that included her memories of living on the reservation while asking her what she may want to reconnect to. During this activity, Kiah remembered her grandmother having a shell on her kitchen table, a distinct smell, and feelings of calmness in her home. Working collaboratively, the student and counselor recalled that her grandmother would engage in the ceremonial practice of smudging each day, and Kiah realized this was something she would like to do in reconnecting to her culture. The Native American education director shared the smudging teaching with the student and helped procure sage from a local Native American–owned shop. The student relearned this ceremonial practice and planned to regularly practice the new ritual as a way to stay grounded in and connected to her identity. Drumming The goals of drumming are to find rhythm in one’s life again; to help people celebrate, grieve, and heal; and to feel connected to Mother Earth as one was once connected to their mother’s womb (Rojiani et al., 2022). Many Indigenous people believe that drumming represents the heartbeat of Mother Earth. The act of drumming connects the drummer with the earth. It is a practice that is both intimate and ceremonial. Drumming has been shown to enact multiple positive outcomes in clients, with examples including positive identity development (Rojiani et al., 2022); stress reduction and empowerment (Maschi et al., 2013); coping with societal oppression (McKinley, 2023); and anxiety reduction, decreased self-stigma, and the improvement of mood (Mungas & Silverman, 2014; Rowe et al., 2023). Drums can be made from different animal hides; in the Midwest region, they are often made with deer hides. Drums can be made or bought, with kits accessible online. Drumming music can come from any origin. Oftentimes, Indigenous songs originate from someone’s dream and then are gifted to a person or group. One example is that of an elder who once dreamt a specific song for a women’s ceremony, and then gifted the song to Smith-Yliniemi and Riegert. The elder sang the song to them, and it was their responsibility to learn the song and sing it at that certain monthly ceremony from then on, which has been done for the past decade. The drum is considered a sacred living object, as an animal gave their life so that humans could benefit and heal. Consequently, caring for a drum should occur regularly and is considered a ritualistic ceremonial experience, whereby the keeper has the responsibility to acknowledge its life and treat it with great respect and honor. The act of drumming includes tapping the instrument with a drumstick or hand. One or multiple individuals can drum. Drumming can be used in ceremonies. In some communities, behavioral health departments offer ceremonies to community members as a way to heal and connect with their Indigenous roots. As an example of the use of drumming in counseling, when Smith-Yliniemi
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