Peyote is a powerful hallucinogenic substance used in indigenous social, spiritual, and medicinal practices.
Native healers used a variety naturally occurring plant stimulants in order to heal the sick and injured members of their community. However, these very same natural cures were also used for other purposes. The same stimulant used to dull the pain associated with illness or injury can also be employed to fortify the courage of warrior preparing to face battle, punctuate a religious ceremony, and seal a peace treaty. As with other aspects of indigenous society these sensation-altering substances were an important part of the ceremonies associated with tribal life. Going hand in hand with the inherent spirituality of native peoples, the use of stimulants varied from region to region. There were no universal plants or herbs associated with these complex ceremonies, as the botanical diversity of the region often determined the availability of specific natural stimulants. What was employed for medicinal, spiritual, or social purposes was determined by the landscape of the community.
There are three uses for stimulants within Native American tribal society—ceremonial, medicinal, and social. Of the three primary uses, it is with the ceremonial that more has been recorded. This is because ceremony is an important aspect of indigenous society. The journals of George Catlin explore the medicinal uses of drugs in combination with ceremonies meant to invoke healing spirits. The social use of stimulants also derives from the desire to commune personally with the spirit world. In some cases, however, this did lead to abuse of these stimulants and necessitated a change in tribal policies. One such example would be the use of the peyote plant.
Broadly defined, Peyote is a hallucinogenic drug derived from the bud of a naturally occurring cactus. Grown along the border of Mexico and the southwestern United States, the peyote cactus produces a stimulant that can have powerful psychotropic effect on the user. Containing nine different alkaloids, including painkillers, an antibiotic named peyocactin, and a small about of mescaline, peyote is a powerful substance. The peyote bud is either chewed or boiled into a tea and as it is taken into the system, it produces a euphoric effect on the user. The senses are heightened and the user often experiences visions. This is why the use of peyote is often associated with religious rituals.
From within the complex tapestry of Native American mythology a story detailing the origin of peyote emerges. According to oral tradition, the Comanche first discovered the bud during a time of great sickness. A village elder went to the desert to find a cure for the blight that was killing her people. Along the way she received guidance from a spirit guide, who pointed her towards the mysterious plant. After three days in the desert, she learned the secrets of the medicinal properties of the peyote bud and brought it back to her people. The Comanche are credited with introducing the plant to other tribes. Through raids into Mexico, migration, and intra-tribal contact, the use of peyote spread throughout the mid-western region of North America.
Peyote is an all-purpose stimulant, used for vision quests in religious ceremonies, to heal serious injuries, and to prepare warriors for a coming battle. Though its primary use changed from tribe to tribe, the peyote bud was very much a part of native life within the Midwestern region of the continent. During the period of native cultural revival, after many years of costly resistance, there arose a movement to establish a Native American church. In the 1890s, this organization supported the use of peyote as a religious practice. Throughout intervening years, proponents of the use its use have fought for the protection of peyote as a religious right. In 1994, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act was amended to affirm the right to use peyote as part of the free expression of indigenous religion.
David M Jones and Brian L Molyneaux, Mythology of the American Nations. (London: Hermes House, 2006).
Gilbert Legay, Atlas of Indians. (Hauppage: Barron’s Educational Services, Inc., 1995)
Peter Matthiessen, ed., George Catlin: North American Indians. (New York: Penguin Group, 1989).
Mark St. Pierre and Tilda Long Soldier, Walking in the Sacred Manner: Healers, Dreamers, and Pipe Carriers—Medicine Women of the Plains. (New York: Simon and Schuster,1995).
Carl Waldman, Atlas of the North American Indian. New York: 2000).
Carl Waldman, Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes. (New York: Checkmark Books, 2006).
