Peyote Woman

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.

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Abstract

American Indians and their traditions are a vital nexus of religion and ecology. Even postcolonial native movements that incorporate various Christian traditions are typically grounded in the natural world. Toward the end of the nineteenth century, ethnologist James Mooney happened upon one such phenomenon while conducting research in Indian Territory. Several Southern Plains tribes had taken up the sacramental use of peyote, a small, spineless cactus endemic to the southern Rio Grande Valley and northern Mexico. Various oral accounts attribute the origin of modern peyote religion to a woman. Mooney lrst witnessed Peyote Woman's ceremony in February 1891, when he was invited to a riverside encampment several miles west of Anadarko, Oklahoma. Peyote Woman and her followers made quite an impression on Mooney. Peyote may be the indispensable element of practicing its namesake religion, but the key to understanding and interpreting this tradition is Peyote Woman.