i would support a ban of this type, in the public schools. this is not educational, and does not belong in a class room - not even if viewed through a racist filter as some kind of harmless magic trick.

even taking a softer stance of informed parental consent, there should have been a consent form sent home. and, yes, i would have prevented my kids from taking part in such a farce, although i would have also taken it as an opportunity to debunk the ceremony.

"first, sweetie, you don't want to breathe in the burning sage. it's carcinogenic. that means it causes cancer. they might tell you it's some kind of medicine, but this is simple ignorance - it is, in fact, actually poisonous. you should tell the other kids that, especially the indigenous ones, because they might not know it. so, when you see them start burning the leaves, step away from smoke. don't breath it in. and, i'll be calling your teacher in the morning to talk to her about unnecessarily exposing children to dangerous levels of smoke, before i call the principal in the afternoon.

these people suggesting that there's any magic value in breathing in smoke are just making up nonsense. i've raised you well enough to see that on your own, but i'm just telling you again. excepting the combustion taking place, there's no energy being transferred in the process. science would reject their claim outright. there's just dangerous smoke that you want to get away from, and an incredibly irresponsible teacher that is unnecessarily exposing you to environmental toxins, and a lack of decent critical analysis."

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/16/canada-mother-ban-indigenous-ceremonies-public-schools

jagmeet singh must cut his beard.