Peyote Woman
Journal for the Study of Religion Nature and Culture August 1, 2016 James Treat
American Indian traditions form a crucial intersection of religion and ecology, often rooted in the natural world even when incorporating Christian elements. In the late 1800s, ethnologist James Mooney encountered the sacramental use of peyote, a cactus from the southern Rio Grande Valley and northern Mexico, among Southern Plains tribes. Oral accounts trace the origin of modern peyote religion to a woman. Mooney witnessed Peyote Woman's ceremony in February 1891 near Anadarko, Oklahoma. While peyote is essential to the religion, understanding the tradition hinges on the figure of Peyote Woman.