What is Peyote?
The peyote plant, example pictured to the left, is a small cactus like plant that grows just barely above the ground with flowers and leaves at the top. "A curious feature of the peyote cult both in the Plains and is the belief that individual plants are both male and female" (Barre 1947). The plant above ground never grows very tall, however the roots continue to grow deeper and deeper in the ground as the plant matures. Peyote leaves are the only part of the plant that is utilized. They can be used for smoking or turning into tea leaves to drink. There is a common conception that Peyote is toxic to the body, but the only part of peyote that is a toxin is the additional alkaloids that your body gets rid of in the urine as an after effect. Due to these alkaloids, specifically Lophophorine, there can be a sickening feeling in the back of the head along with flushing of the face and a slowing of the pulse. These specific effects usually only last the first forty minutes after using. Each person has a different experience.
Usually there are two general stages that occur in the effects from peyote. “The preliminary stage and the stage of intoxication. In the preliminary stage the individual feels excitement, exhilaration and diminished kinesthetic sensations… In the intoxication stage there is an inclination to lie down, although the individual may not feel sleepy; the pupils remain dilated and react “sluggishly” to light changes. Movements, including walking, are un-coordinated… the reflexes of the body are much increased, although the sensation of pain and touch are dulled” (Bee 1965). There can also be auditory and visual hallucinations associated with the use of peyote.
When Peyotism Began
The use of peyote within the the Native American Indian groups is a folk group that uses peyote in various celebrations and ceremonies. To look at how peyotism is considered folklore we have to understand that "folklore is lived, experienced, created, and shared by people" (Sims 2011, 30). Peyote use began in Mexico in 1560 among the Chichimeca of Mexico before moving north. There are reports that peyote was originally “introduced into these Provinces for the purpose of detecting thefts, of divining other happenings, and of foretelling future events” (Bee 1965). There are also reports that peyote rituals also began as more of a shamanistic type ritual. Later the Huichol and Tarahumari tribes began using peyote in purification rituals where there would be a group of holy men in a group of 8-10 that would set out on a quest. After a certain part of their journey has passes they would place a sacred arrow in the ground and build a fire. They would smoke the peyote and tobacco while confessing their sins. From this the use of peyote rites spread north. This is where the use of Peyote for rituals became more for the position of the shaman and for healing.
Peyote was normally smoked with a long wooden pipe. Normally people recognize this as a peace pipe. The pipe was not only used in peyote rituals. Pipes were sometimes decorated with beads and feathers, but a traditional pipe would be similar to the one pictured here.