White Sage occupies a comparatively narrow native range across California and Baja California, where it holds long-standing, living relationships with Indigenous communities.
The University of San Diego's Kumeyaay Garden records Pellytaay as a Kumeyaay identifier for White Sage and documents uses extending well beyond aromatic smoke. Seeds were historically toasted and prepared as pinole, while young flowering stalks were consumed.
A 2026 collaborative ethnography conducted in the Kumeyaay village of San José de la Zorra documented medicinal and practical applications alongside harvesting practices tied to the plant's reproductive cycle. These documented relationships are specific to place and community and should not be generalised as a universal Native American practice.
Sacred Plants Australia uses Mexican White Sage Smudge Sticks as the primary product name because it reflects established Australian retail terminology for this tied botanical form. This terminology does not claim ceremonial authority, tribal endorsement or Indigenous provenance.
