A smudge bundle is simply plant material, white sage, sweetgrass, cedar or tobacco depending on the nation and the purpose, dried and bound tightly enough with string or thread to hold together and smolder slowly from one lit end rather than burning quickly like loose herbs would.
Harvesting protocol, and who leads formal ceremony
Traditional harvesting protocols in the nations that use these plants call for taking only what is needed, offering tobacco in exchange, and gathering at specific times, practices distinct from the commercial wildcrafting that has driven real concern over white sage overharvesting, a supply issue this atlas's companion article on the object covers in more detail. Everyday personal use of smudging is common and not restricted to specialists, but more formal ceremonial smudging, particularly in a communal or public context, is often led specifically by a recognized elder or ceremony keeper rather than conducted by whoever happens to be present.
What happens to the ash
Ash and spent bundle remains are not treated as household waste, they are returned to the earth respectfully, buried or scattered outdoors, a small but consistent final step that distinguishes this practice from simply extinguishing and binning a stick of commercial incense.