The Peyote Road: Religious Freedom and the Native American Church. By Thomas Constantine Maroukis. (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2010. xii, 281 pp. $29.95, ISBN 978-0-8061-4109-1.)

Summary

The Peyote religion has developed significantly among Native Americans, originating from the use of the peyote cactus for its hallucinogenic properties. It became organized in the early 1900s with the establishment of the Native American Church of Oklahoma in 1918 in response to threats against their faith. Today, it has around 300,000 members across North America, offering ethical guidance and addressing social issues like alcoholism.

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Abstract

The Peyote religion is one of the most important historical developments among the Indians of the United States. For thousands of years natives of northern Mexico have ingested the hallucinogenic peyote cactus, which grows wild in specific locales, for its medical and inspirational qualities. In the 1800s peyote use spread to Indian Territory, and under Christian influence it coalesced into a religion with identifiable mythology, theology, ritual, ethics, and organization. As Indians in the United States became Peyotists, governmental and church agencies launched an “assault on their faith” (p. 3). To defend their religious freedom, Peyotists in 1918 established the Native American Church of Oklahoma, the “mother church” of Peyotism (p. 212). Despite prohibitions, it continued to grow as a movement: pan-Indian, yet rooted in tribal spirituality; distinct, yet ecumenical. Many Indians saw it as “an indigenous faith” (p. 69). Its ethical teachings—the “Peyote Road”—served as a guide to people in social distress (p. 87). Its repute in curing alcoholism heightened its appeal. Today the Native American Church (nac) of North America has approximately 300,000 Indian members.

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