Introduction to the Peyote Wisdom Collection
Guy Mount
from The Peyote Book, Sweetlight
Books, Cottonwood California, 1993. ©Guy Mount
At this moment in American History, the practitioners of
alternative herbal medicine and religion are the most persecuted
and prosecuted members of society. Peyote itself is under attack
from oil well development companies, dry land ranching
techniques, and an ever increasing number of consumers. There is
an immediate need to 1) pass laws in each state that protect the
rights of all people, regardless of race or ethnic origin, to
practice the peyote religion and pursue alternative healing
strategies (which may employ herbs on the "controlled
substances" list), and 2) protect peyote by developing
nature preserves in south Texas and encouraging cultivation. The
Peyote Religion and the herbal sacrament it depends on will soon
be extinct unless something radical is done to establish
environmental protection and decriminalize cultivation.
There is also a great need to provide educational curriculum
that supports a peaceful transition from an abusive "War on
Drugs" to a knowledgeable use of herbal medicines. Our
educational system presently teaches children that "drug
use" is crazy and criminal. There is no distinction made
between herbs and drugs, nor are any positive images of herbal
medicines provided; so it's not surprising that American
teenagers act crazy and commit crimes when they use herbs and
drugs—that's what they've been taught to do!
Fortunately, the Native American Church and Native American
philosophy in general provide us with the lessons we need to grow
as individuals, and to improve the overall health of our society.
Insofar as America learned from its native people, it has
provided Light to the world through democracy, religious freedom
and economic reciprocity. Therefore, I hope the Peyote Religion
will grow substantially in the near future to include many new
practitioners from all races, and legal Peyote Churches and
greenhouses in all states. Our world needs this medicine, this
lifeline to the future.