Indians of North America -- Religion; Indians of North America -- Rites and ceremonies; Peyotism
There is a tendency to separatism between the sections on the
reservation, but nothing suggesting a schism in Northern Cheyenne
peyotism; there is interparticipation in meetings of the various groups,
though there is a mild rivalry between the Muddy Creek and the other
territorially-defined groups.
The Delaware got peyote from the Kiowa and Comanche about 1886, the
earliest users including Chief Charles Elkhair, Joe Washington, James
C. Webber, George T. and John Anderson, Benjamin Hill, Reed and Frank
Wilson, Mrs. Allie Anderson, Mrs. Ora Spybuck and Mrs. Little Tethlies.
Washington’s family still has the original articles given them by the
Comanche.[49]
Iowa peyote[50] was in full swing in 1914, but is said to have died out
since 1922. In this tribe the introduction of peyote
has driven out of existence almost all the other societies
and ancient customs of the tribe; almost all of the Iowa in
Oklahoma are ardent peyote disciples, and only ... a few ...
still follow the older customs.
Peyotism has relaxed the rules of secrecy about the older medicine
ceremonies also, and may perhaps be ultimately responsible for the final
deculturation of the Iowa.
Kansa[51] peyotism came from the Ponca about 1907. It was very strong
among them by 1915, “having apparently superseded all of the old Kansa
beliefs.”
Henry Murdock (Kickapoo) brought the new religion from Quanah Parker
and the Comanche in 1906; but he had personally known of peyote before,
having gone to Mexico in 1864. Quanah had known Murdock before the peyote
religion began spreading and invited his friend by letter to visit him.
He put on a meeting in his honor, taught him the ceremony and presented
him with peyote paraphernalia. The set songs in the Kickapoo rite are
Comanche, and the custom of making the ashes into a bird likewise
indicates a Comanche provenience for the ceremony. The Kickapoo were
originally much against peyote.[52]
Peyote began to have a limited adherence among the Menomini a little
before 1914, owing largely to marital ties with Winnebago and Potawatomi
users.[53] The ritual has the Christian character of the Winnebagos’ and
membership in the peyote society not only precludes any in all the other
societies, but also demands the abandonment of all ancient practices and
destruction of their paraphernalia. Skinner believed that
its success will mean the death-blow to all the ancient customs
of the tribe, already decadent, without the compensation of any
advantageous or progressive substitute.
The spread of the cult has been met with determined opposition among the
Menomini, and some peyote users later sought and received reinstatement
in the older tribal rites.
One Modoc in Oklahoma, Sam Ball, married a Quapaw woman and took up
peyote as a result. At present he is the only one,[54] but such marital
ties have often before been the source of the spread of peyote.
Peyote was introduced to the Omaha[55]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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