ate use of natural peyote in the ritual of the Native American Church: "Western man already complacently accepts (since it is ours) the mass use of substances such as tobacco and alcohol which, to physical health can be more dangerous, than a weekly Indian use of a feebly psychotropic desert plant.The book reports that the peyote Indians sometimes hears the voice of the Great Spirit, they feel they are in the presence of God. Some experiences have been described as a feeling of great peace and contentment, floating, peace, contentment, and being a part of goodness. Many say words can't describe the experience.Since the book was written a lot has happened. On April 14, 1994, Representative Bill Richardson introduced an amendment, H.R. 4230, to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA). This amendment protects the First Amendment rights of Native Americans to practice their religion through the use of peyote as a religious sacrament. The Drug Enforcement Administration has a longstanding regulatory exemption, which allows for the "non-drug use of peyote in bona fide religious ceremonies for the Native American Church." Twenty-eight states have similar exemptions, but twenty-two states do not. I think the constitutional rights of Native Americans to exercise their religion must be ensured.Although 28 states have laws that protect the use of peyote as a sacrament, the laws are inconsistent with each other. Tribes located in different states are treated differently regarding peyote use. Native American Church members who have lawfully acquired peyote in Texas can be arrested and subject to felony prosecution in the 22 states that do not protect religious use of peyote, even for just driving through those states. Anthropologists give the Native American Church a good report, noting among other things that members resist alcohol and alcoholism better than do non-members. The conclusion to which evidence currently points would seem to b...
