Native Americans and Peyote Use Essay - 2214 Words

For better or worse, many societies of the modern world tolerate certain methods of self-intoxication. Despite the possibility of negative consequences, all the cultures of the world the consumption of substances like alcohol and tobacco are sanctioned under particular circumstances. All societies face the reality that significant proportions of mankind seek to the same time expressly criminalizing others. This irony is made more bizarre by the evidence that a myriad of rich cultural timelines can supply to demonstrate that there is reasonable historical precedence in existence to show the use of alternative forms of drugs being cultivated and utilized.(McKenna) The concept of an individual person deliberately changing their perception†¦show more content†¦By contrast, if the same group had discovered and ingested some hallucinogenic mushrooms, they would be compelled to confront and would surely have discussed and attempted to understand the nature of their otherworldly mushroom-induced encounters. Assuming that their neurochemistry was not so different from ours today, those occurrences would have been well beyond the bounds of their everyday experiences and vocabulary. They could easily have concluded that these plants were the residences of divinities or other spiritual forces. (Nichols) Not soon after the first Europeans set foot on American soil at the end of the fifteenth century, they began take note with varying degrees of fascination and revulsion of a strange indigenous custom psychedelic plant ritual. They were later to recognize this occurrence as an indispensable aspect of aboriginal religion and ritual in many parts of the New World. Intoxication by certain plants were ascribed supernatural powers by indigenous people. Hallucinations and the experience of Peyote are seen as not only a cosmic experience, but also a personal reflection life and its many lessons as well. The â€Å"Psychedelic† Peyote is a species of cactus that grows in regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is most well-known forShow MoreRelatedIs Peyote A Spirit, And A Gift From God Who They Call The Great Spirit?1396 Words   |  6 Pagesforms of Peyotism center around the belief that peyote is a spirit, and a gift from God who they call the Great Spirit. The spirit empowers and connects us to our journey as people. Our lives are transforming journeys and peyote is a tool that can help guide and direct it. â€Å"It gives the individual a chance to re-evaluate their priorities. The head of the Peyote Way Church of God, which is a NAC organization stated †Through the Holy Sacrament Peyote, the communicant experiences a loss of selfishnessRead MoreEssay on Native American Tradition and Religion1319 Words   |  6 Pageshabitats in North America, different native religions evolved to match the needs and lifestyles of the individual tribe. Religious traditions of aborigina l peoples around the world tend to be heavily influenced by their methods of acquiring food, whether by hunting wild animals or by agriculture. Native American spirituality is no exception. Traditional Lakota spirituality is a form of religious belief that each thing, plant and animal has a spirit. The Native American spirituality has an inseparableRead MoreThe Decline Of The Native American Indians1607 Words   |  7 PagesPrior to the European invasion, the Native American Indians inhabited both North and South America, most of them living in areas beyond the reach of railroads and well-traveled highways. The Europeans and Native Americans met episodically through war, resulting in a clash of culture and social integration. Interestingly, during times of geographical expansion, the American government usually had their greatest interest in the Indians. The United States population doubled every twenty years betweenRead MoreCultural Impacts Of Native American Culture1559 Words   |  7 Pagesintertwined throughout out everything that Native Americans are. Their religion, way of survival, justice system, holistic views, and so much more, comprise their culture. Over the past 200 plus years, Native Americans have been subjected and forced to conform to European derived ideology. This has impacted Native Americans culture from a past, present, and future perspective. These perspectives will be addressed as well as combined into one. Native Americans have always been present throughout theRead MoreCases of Government Interference in A Citizen ´s Free Exercise of Freedom666 Words   |  3 Pagesbanned peyote, a hallucinogenic drug used by Native Americans. The Supreme Court deemed that the law was meant to protect people from the powerful drug and it was not intended to infringe on the Native American practice. The last situation in which a government can interfere with religious conduct is if the act is a danger to public safety. As mentioned before, a case, Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith, came before the Supreme Court regarding the Native AmericanRead MorePeyote And The Native American Church. Peyote Is A Narcotic1839 Words   |  8 PagesPeyote and the Native American Church Peyote is a narcotic cactus plant that has been used in both religious and healing ceremonies of Native Americans for thousands of years. Peyote is considered safe by a majority of Native Americans, but also vastly important to their religious heritage. Not only is it considered historically important but the use of peyote is central to many beliefs of modern Pan-Indianism. Interestingly, the more popular peyote became among Native American tribes, the moreRead MoreThe Indian Claims Commission And The Civil Rights Movement806 Words   |  4 PagesGovernment and Native American tribes. It was established under the Indian Claims Act in 1946 by the United States Congress to hear claims of Indian tribes against the United States. According to Rosier (2003) the impetus to create the ICC came from three main sources. Native Americans and white political leaders had been calling for a commission separate from the backlogged U.S. Court of Claims since 1910. Assimilationists intent on ter minating federal guardianship of Native Americans hoped to eliminateRead MoreReligious Persecution Of Native American Religious Practice2467 Words   |  10 Pagesworld, here, in the United States the legal persecution of Native Americans for their use of peyote has been one of the most distinct. Another historical event, in the United States, was the legal discrimination against Mormons, in specific The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. While both cases have been historical, they have had very different outcomes from each other. Peyote is a sacred symbol in Native American religious practice. â€Å"For thousand of years the indigenousRead MoreEssay about Peyote and Native American Culture1763 Words   |  8 PagesPeyote and Native American Culture Peyote was originally described in 1560, however it was not until the middle of the nineteenth century that botanists were able to conduct field research and correctly classify the cactus (Anderson, 1980). Field studies have concluded that there are two distinct populations of peyote which represent two species. The first and most common, Lophophora williamsii extends from southern Texas reaching south to the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi. The second and leastRead MoreThe Native American Essay833 Words   |  4 PagesOne might not understand what makes one keep moving forward day after day. Nobody gets it unless they have lived in the footsteps of another. Ask any Native American. They have lived a life of others judging and misunderstanding and if they havent their ancestors have. The Native Americans pass stories down generation by generation so surely they have heard what it was like to be misunderstood. They believe differently than other cultures, yet not one is alike. They have a very complicated and hard