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“The white man’s reality are his streets with their banks, shops, neon lights
and traffic, streets full of policemen, whores, and sad-faced people in a hurry
to punch a time clock. But this is unreal. The real reality is underneath all
this. Grandfather Peyote helps you find it.” - Crow Dog Peyote, a hallucinogenic
plant that is commonly used as a recreational drug, has a much greater meaning
for members of the peyote religion. By examining the effects of peyote along
with its role in the rituals and beliefs of the Native American Church it
becomes apparent why it is such an integral part of the religion. The trade and
knowledge of this sacred plant was already well defined in regions of Mexico
well before European conquest and its ceremonial use was already underway in the
tribes of the area in which it grew. This religious use eventually spread
through North American regions. Along with its migration, the basic rituals and
ceremonies changed along the way.
The organization of religion involving peyote and the principle rituals had
become commonly practiced among the Comanche and Kiowa tribes by the
mid-eighteen hundreds. The Native American Church formed in 1921, beginning in
Oklahoma. Soon after this initial formation, state and local incorporation
followed in many places and continue to do so to this day. (Aberle, 19) Now,
some form of peyote religion is common to most tribes of the North American
continent. Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) is a very small, low growing, fuzzy
type of cactus. Most of the cactus is actually underground in a long root. Both
the flesh and roots can be eaten. When dried the flesh resembles brown overcoat
buttons, which is where the term peyote “buttons” came from. Peyote isn’t found
just anywhere.
It grows in the wild over only a small portion of the Southwestern United
States known as the Peyote Garden. Precisely, Corpus Christi, Texas, Deming, New
Mexico, Durango, Mexico and Puebla , Mexico bind the area in which this plant
can be found and harvested. (Aberle, 5) Containing eight different alkaloids,
the most important being mescaline, peyote causes a number of effects. The
experience begins with an euphoric quality. It heightens the sensations to
sound, color, form and texture. Further into the experience, “visions” begin to
occur. These visions can include detailed, realistic pictures and sounds. The
interpretation of these visions rather than the visions themselves are what
peyotists consider most important. The peyote experience is characterized by a
strong feeling of personal significance of the internal and external stimuli
encountered during the experience. Many find themselves asking, “What does this
mean to me?” The Native American Church came to the Indians during their darkest
hour.
It was around the time when the last of the buffalo had disappeared from the
plains. They were left starving, helpless and with little of their old lives
remaining to cling to. In the words of a member of the NAC, Mary Crow Dog, “The
Native American Church became the religion of the poorest of the poor, the
conquered, the despoiled. Peyote made them understand what was happening and
made them endure. It was the only thing that gave them strength in those, our
darkest days.” It was obvious that a militant religion could not have survived
under white dominance. The formation of this religion was a response to the
degraded status on Native Americans. It’s goal- internal peace and harmony
rather than competition. This idea was highly relevant to the socio-economic
situation that these indigenous people were being faced with. For many, this was
exactly what they needed to continue on. Since the beginning, there has been
strong opposition to the Native American Church by several groups. The
traditionalist Indians opposed it believing that it was a threat to traditional
tribal culture. Modernist Indians as well as whites opposed the religion also
saying that it was heathenistic and backward. In the early stages, peyote
meetings were illegal not for the use of peyote, but because Native American
rituals in general were outlawed.
But, in 1934, under John Collier, the Bureau of Indian Affairs enacted a
policy of non-interference with peyotism. There have been state laws prohibiting
the “sale, use or possession of peyote”, but all such laws have been repealed
since the sixties (Aberle, 18).At the present, it is legal for those acting on
behalf of the Native American Church to buy or harvest peyote for their
religious needs. Most peyotism that is practiced today is identified with the
Native American Church (NAC). It is a loosely organized group with numerous
divisions. Within each division are many local chapters, more commonly called
moons. Attendance to meetings is dependent on local and kinship ties. The local
road chief can deal with all functions of the religion, so no formal
organization is necessary.
In his book, David Aberle noted that “peyotism has not been marked by
numerous schisms; if ‘we all worship the same God and all eat peyote,’ this is
sufficient.” The use of peyote for members of NAC is not simply for the pleasure
of doing so. It is taken as a religious adjunct, aiding in heightening the level
of this special experience. It supplies a feeling of personal significance,
which is central to reflecting on one’s self, relationships, ethics and in
bringing new meaning to these things. There is also believed to be medicinal
benefits to peyote. Many Indians claim that it has powers to heal the mind and
body. Peyote gives the ability to “get into the power” to the peyotist. Mary
Crow Dog wrote about “feeling the strength surging through your body”. The fact
that no two peyote experiences are the same and the fact that you can never
predict how a particular experience will turn out make this power all the more
real.
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