“Plants Don’t Have a Culture to Appropriate”: Accounting for Accusations of Cultural Appropriation of Peyote Ceremonies
Sociology Compass February 26, 2025 Heith Copes, Haley Copeland, Lynne M. Vieraitis et al.
People accused of cultural appropriation often resist the label by either denying that cultural appropriation exists or by claiming that their own actions are respectful and therefore not appropriative. An ethnographic study of individuals attending peyote ceremonies—a sacred Native American practice—in a Southern U.S. state found that participants used these two strategies to maintain a positive identity and avoid stigma. Those who denied appropriation argued that peyote is for everyone, while those who acknowledged appropriation as a concept insisted that their respectful conduct exempted them from being appropriators. The findings highlight how broader narratives help people minimize accusations of harm.