Health is Wealth: Cultural Appropriation in the Wellness Industry

Disclaimer: I want to note this article depicts what I have personally learned on my journey of reconnecting with my culture and does not speak to every Indigenous culture or community on turtle island. Similarly, it does not speak for every Anishinaabe culture either. Nevertheless, the appropriation in the wellness industry is still apparent and troublesome.

The topic of wellness has been trending over the past few years with concepts of self- care and healing such as encouraging rest, increasing awareness and information about mental health, and other wellness modalities such as various types of energy work and spirituality. This has benefited the wellness industry and is also shifting our view on what wellness looks like in our daily lives. There has also been an increase in encouraging healthier coping mechanisms for handling stress and trauma that embraces our emotions rather than attempts to escape them. This is a much needed shift in our understanding of mental health, wellness and illness. However, there are some ways in which this industry and trend is problematic and harmful.

One of the problems with this is that the wellness industry we know today was built for only certain types of people who have access to these products, modalities, and ways of attaining that information. Not only is the industry built for specific types of people, particularly individuals who want to do better and are not yet well-informed, but it is also made and maintained by specific types and groups of people that take advantage of that. This and the white-washing of the wellness industry and trends is not commonly talked about.

Many of the modalities now promoted are appropriated by the Western wellness industry as they adopt various cultural practices and beliefs as their own. One example is Mshkodewashk, or white sage. This is a sacred medicine of various Indigenous nations across Turtle Island, including the Anishinaabe of which I am a part of. This is one of the sacred medicines used to smudge, which helps us purify and cleanse our homes, ourselves, and objects of negativity. It is important to note that mshkodewashk has become endangered due to its popularity in the Western wellness industry. The inclusion of such a sacred medicine in the wellness industry brings up the following questions: Where is this sage coming from? How is it harvested? Why is it being included? Most individuals do not have an adequate understanding of mshkodewashk and even when they know smudging with this sacred medicine comes from various Indigenous cultures, they do not have a full understanding of its significance and how to properly participate in such a beautiful ceremony. There are various considerations with this cultural practice including the harvesting itself in which we do not rip out the roots so that the medicine can grow again, we ask for permission to pick it and offer semaa or ceremonial tobacco, spread the seeds, and use the medicine for ceremony or tea. It is further important to note that various Indigenous cultures do not believe in selling medicines in the first place, and even if we as Indigenous peoples do, supporting local Indigenous communities and businesses should be required. We also only take what we need, whereas Western concepts promote overconsumption to make a profit. We have become so far removed from the processes behind products that we do not think critically about where things come from, how they are harvested or made, etc. This is an unfortunate colonial way of thinking that allows industries to appropriate cultural practices and beliefs whilst devaluing us and our ways of life.

There are ways in which we can be included in other cultures and truly appreciate them rather than appropriate them. Some ways in which to do this include going out of your way to understand the cultural practice, its history, its significance, and where the product or modality is coming from when you use or participate in it. Other examples of often, but not always, appropriated wellness products and modalities include yoga, reiki, and meditation. These are incredibly important ways to promote and maintain wellness but it is easy to contribute to the harmful effects of appropriation of these modalities if not done properly. Therefore, going forward, it is important to be informed about the products and strategies you use to take care of yourself and use in your wellness routine. Ensure you are not appropriating cultures but instead are appreciating them by understanding where the practices come from, what they are, and supporting communities and individuals of that culture.

---

Sources:

• Bhagwandas, A., Winter, L., London, B., Turner, S. M. M. and E., & Thompson, S. (2020, January 1). How wellness got whitewashed. Glamour UK. Retrieved November 27, 2021, from https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/wellness-whitewashing.

• Champion, L. (2021, March 3). 7 new self-care trends we're loving right now. PureWow. Retrieved November 27, 2021, from https://www.purewow.com/wellness/self-care-trends-were-loving-2021.

• Vya, K. (2021, August 28). Dismantling cultural appropriation within the health and wellness industry - on the record. On the Record . Retrieved November 27, 2021, from https://ontherecordnews.ca/dismantling-cultural-appropriation-within-the-health-and wellness-industry/.

• Gore, S. (2020, August 26). Unpacking the wellness industry's whitewashing problem. Byrdie. Retrieved November 27, 2021, from https://www.byrdie.com/wellness-industry-whitewashing-5074880.