The sweet, sharp smell of sage penetrates the room.
Smoke rises and flattens out along the ceiling tiles.
John Farrell, who is called Bear, wafts the burning herb at each person who walks inside, fanning it from their chest to their knees, then along their back. The process, called smudging, is the first in a series of American Indian traditions that take place in a small shop in downtown Corpus Christi. It's used for medicinal purposes. Smudging is cleansing. Between six and 12 people of American Indian ancestry gather for about two hours once a month to learn and remember traditions in a native worship ceremony.