Sacred Cacti and Mescaline Flashcards
What is Peyote?
Genus-species: Lophophora williamsii; small, slow growing, visionary cactus, native to north-central Mexico and southern Texas.
What is Mescaline?
Chemical in peyote and San Pedro cacti known for evoking visionary and psychedelic effects when ingested.
What is the historical significance of the peyote cactus in ceremonial use?
The peyote cactus has the oldest known history of ceremonial use among psychedelic plants, with evidence of its use dating back over 5,000 years, as found in specimens along the Rio Grande River.
Its use indicates a deep, ritualistic relationship with the plant, often mixed with other materials for intentional preparations.
When and how was mescaline first identified, and what confusion surrounded its naming?
Mescaline, the psychedelic compound in peyote, was first purified and identified in 1897. Its naming was influenced by a historical mix-up involving mezcal, an intoxicating liquor from agave, and the mescal bean, another psychoactive substance, contributing to the demonization and misrepresentation of peyote in Western contexts.
How did peyote ceremonies become integrated into Native American cultural traditions?
Peyote ceremonies spread from North Central Mexico into the United States over approximately 150 years, becoming a central ceremonial tradition among Indigenous Native Americans by the end of the 19th century. Leaders like Comanche Quanah Parker were pivotal in propagating the use of peyote across various tribes during this period.
What role did the Native American Church play in the preservation of peyote use?
Founded in 1918 in response to U.S. government assimilation policies and cultural suppression, the Native American Church was established to protect and formalize the religious use of peyote among Native Americans.
It played a crucial role in legal and cultural battles to safeguard their religious practices, including the use of peyote, against federal attempts to outlaw it.
How did federal and legal challenges to peyote use by Native Americans evolve in the early 20th century?
In the early 20th century, various laws targeted the use of peyote among Native Americans. Notably, in 1916, a federal judge ruled that peyote was neither an intoxicating liquor nor a drug under the existing laws, which prevented its prohibition under those regulations. Despite ongoing congressional considerations to ban peyote, it remained legal for members of the Native American Church at the federal level.
What is the San Pedro cactus?
Genus: Echinopsis or Trichocereus; notable species: pachanoi and peruviana; tall, fast growing, visionary cactus native to northwestern South America; in the South American ceremonial context, goes by the name huachuma.
What are the Lophophora williamsii and Echinopsis species known for?
Lophophora williamsii, commonly known as peyote, and Echinopsis species, which include San Pedro cacti, are known for containing mescaline, a powerful psychoactive component. Peyote is native to Northern and Central Mexico and the Rio Grande region of Texas, while San Pedro is native to the Andes Mountains of Northern South America.
What evidence suggests the ancient ceremonial use of peyote and San Pedro cacti?
Archaeological finds, such as dried peyote cacti over 5,000 years old found in caves along the Rio Grande, suggest ancient ritual use. For San Pedro, carvings from the Chavin site in Peru, dated between 2,500 and 3,000 years old, indicate a ceremonial relationship with the cactus.
How did the Spanish conquest influence the naming and continued use of San Pedro cacti?
The name “San Pedro” was given during the Spanish conquest, associating the cactus with a Christian saint as a protective measure to maintain Indigenous rituals under the guise of Christian practices. This naming helped shield the cactus’s ceremonial use from suppression by the new religious authorities.
What current challenges does the Native American Church face regarding peyote?
The Native American Church faces significant challenges regarding the sustainability and availability of peyote. Issues include rising prices, decreasing sizes of peyote buttons, habitat destruction from economic development, potential impacts of climate change, and concerns over poaching due to decriminalization movements.
What initiatives are being taken to conserve peyote stocks?
Initiatives like the Indigenous Peyote Conservation Initiative (IPCI) are being undertaken to purchase land to protect natural peyote habitats and explore propagation techniques to replenish stocks. These efforts, while promising, are also subject to controversy and debate within the community due to the complexity of the issues involved.
Who was Bernardino de Sahagun, and why is he significant in the historical documentation of Indigenous cultures in Mexico?
Bernardino de Sahagun was a Franciscan friar and a scholar who composed the definitive historical account of the cultures of the native people of what is now Mexico. He is significant because he made extensive efforts to understand and document the Indigenous cultures, including their use of peyote, by learning Nahuatl and integrating himself into their communities.
How did the Spanish colonization impact the use of peyote among Indigenous populations?
The Spanish colonization, accompanied by the conquests of figures like Cortez and Pizarro and the missionary efforts of the Catholic Church, resulted in the decimation of Native populations and posed massive threats to Indigenous cultures, including attempts to eliminate the ritual use of peyote. However, these practices survived among Indigenous peoples in more isolated areas less impacted by the Spanish conquest.
