Peyote Today


Written by Kelsie Bryant






The recreational use of peyote has created a reserved reputation of the drug, especially when it comes to the interest of psychedelics. However, first use of it was noted in Mexico by the Spanish and in the Basin area by the European colonizers. The historical viewpoint of peyote from the colonizers is very negative, believing it to be a gateway to hell. However, many tribes like the Navajo see the use of peyote as a religiously significant experience. Today, the Native American Church reserves its’ right for its’ members to use peyote under the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. For many generations, the Navajo and surrounding Peyote religion tribes fought the United States government to reserve the right to use peyote for religious purposes. However, due to colonizer views, it wasn’t until this act that allowed native tribes of the Peyote religion to use it without persecution. While it still preserves its’ religious significance and purpose today within the Native American Church, only members of federally recognized tribes are allowed to ingest peyote under protection of the law. While at face value the act would seem fair and reasonable, it does exclude a lot of tribes and members who may not have access to resources to be federally recognized. Some may argue that this ongoing discourse contributes to the idea that peyote is recreational more than sacred. Not to say those who use it recreationally or have in the past who are non-Native are appropriating, but there needs to be a collective realization that peyote is this inherently sacred thing to the native tribes of North America. Or, rather, the Native American Church can work with unrecognized tribes in order to include them within the religious life both locally and regionally.

 
 
 
 
Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/14/us/religion-journal-peyote-indian-religion-and-the-issue-of-exclusivity.html

https://www.thoughtco.com/peyote-and-the-native-american-church-95705

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