Native American Church
The Native American Church (NAC) is a spiritual movement that integrates ancient Indigenous beliefs with elements of Christianity, primarily centered on the use of peyote, a hallucinogenic cactus. Originating in the southwestern United States and Mexico around the 1880s, it was significantly shaped by the practices of key figures like Quanah Parker, a Comanche chief. The church is characterized by two main ceremonial paths: the Half Moon (or Tipi) way, which emphasizes a nature-based spirituality, and the Big Moon (or Cross Fire) way, which incorporates Christian elements.
Today, the NAC is composed of approximately 250,000 members from various tribes across North America, including both Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals. Members often blend NAC practices with other religious traditions. The church gained formal recognition in 1918 as a response to legal attempts to prohibit peyote use, and it has since been protected under U.S. religious freedom laws. Ceremonies typically involve overnight gatherings where participants engage in prayers, rituals, and the communal sharing of peyote, underscoring a deep reverence for nature. The NAC is governed by an elected board of elders, and its practices remain focused on honoring the spiritual connection to the earth and the divine.
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Native American Church
The Native American Church (NAC) is a religion that draws from both ancient native spiritual beliefs rooted in nature and elements of Christianity. It is practiced in two approaches. The Half Moon (or Tipi) way uses a nature-based spiritual approach, while the Big Moon (or Cross Fire) way includes elements of Christianity. Both approaches include the use of peyote, a hallucinogenic substance derived from cacti.
The NAC originated in the southwestern portion of the United States and Mexico, where it was primarily made up of members of the Sioux, Plains Indians, Winnebagos, Omaha, and Ponca. It has since expanded to include members of tribes from Canada, which is the reason its formal name is the Native American Church of North America. It is estimated that about 250,000 people claim membership in the NAC. Many members of the NAC also consider themselves to be members of other churches and may participate in other traditional Native American religious observations or follow Christianity or other faiths.
History
While people indigenous to North America have long held ceremonies and faith practices related to nature, the observances that became part of the NAC are traced to about 1880 in Oklahoma. As Europeans and their descendents explored and settled across the West, the surviving members of many Native American tribes were resettled onto reservations. Around the same time, Comanche chief Quanah Parker was given peyote for an illness in Mexico. Peyote had long been used by the native populations of Central America. Quanah brought it to Oklahoma and began promoting it as part of native religious observances.
Quanah's approach to religious ceremonies was focused on the natural world. While many elements of Christianity are included in the NAC, a greater emphasis is put on honoring and respecting the earth, sky, and other aspects of nature. Quanah's practices became known as the Half Moon way.
John Wilson, a Native American worship leader in the early peyote spiritual ceremonies in Oklahoma, incorporated elements of his Roman Catholic beliefs to establish what became known as the Big Moon way.
At first, both types of ceremonies were held mostly in Oklahoma. Gradually, however, they spread to other tribes and reservations and eventually across North America.
The formation of an official church grew out of efforts to ban the use of the peyote that is central to the faith practice. Around 1914, the worship practices of several small organized groups caught the attention of lawmakers. By 1918, US Congress attempted to outlaw peyote. In response, practitioners of the peyote worship services banded together to establish and incorporate the NAC in that same year, gaining legal protection for their observances under freedom of religion laws.
As of 2015, in the United States, any laws outlawing peyote are generally unenforceable on Native American–held land, and little is done to stop its transport or use by card-holding members of the NAC. Several laws were passed to protect the rights of NAC members' use peyote for religious purposes, including the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978. Native Americans generally can conduct religious ceremonies without legal interference.
One notable exception was a 1990 Supreme Court decision in the case of Employment Division vs. Smith (494 U.S. 872), in which two NAC members who were fired from their jobs as drug counselors for using peyote and then denied unemployment benefits sought an appeal. The court ruled against the two, stating that the freedom of religion laws did not supersede other laws, including one that required drug counselors to be drug-free.
In addition, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act was amended in 1994 to allow the ceremonial use of peyote by Native Americans during religious ceremonies.
Beliefs
The NAC uses a blend of practices and beliefs reverencing nature and Christian beliefs. The latter were originally brought to the Native Americans by missionaries. To some extent, the Christian beliefs adhered to are determined by the Christian denomination that first attempted to convert the Native Americans; however, they all include traditional concepts such as a creator Father, a Son sent to redeem the world, and a Holy Spirit who works through people in the world to bring about God's purposes.
Added to this was a belief that peyote—a natural substance that could be taken into the body—was a sacramental way to reach out to God and Jesus Christ. The ceremonies that include the use of peyote are overnight affairs, usually conducted outdoors in a tipi or indoors, when necessary. They are not always regularly scheduled events but may take place in response to an event such as a birthday or death. Men typically lead the ceremony, but women can attend and participate.
The ceremony involves the services of a Roadman, who conducts the ceremonies, and a Fireman, who keeps the holy fire burning throughout the night. The Roadman uses a prayer staff and other items, including natural objects such as eagle feathers and Christian symbols such as crosses and Bibles, when leading the ceremony. The altar includes peyote, and some of it will be turned into a paste or mush to be shared with those present as a sacrament. This can happen several times during the ceremony, which also includes breaks for water and prayers for healing or other concerns.
Early in the morning, a ceremonial breakfast of seven specific sacramental foods—water, beef, corn, rice, strawberries, and two kinds of sweets—is shared before the conclusion of the ceremony. A regular breakfast is also shared, and a ceremonial feast may be held for others who did not participate.
Organization
The NAC is governed by an elected board of elders. Membership is not limited to people with Native American ancestry. Various chapters of the NAC operate under the auspices of the group that originated in 1918. Some allow non-Native Americans to join, while others require people to have documentation that they have at least one-fourth native blood to join the church.
Although the Utah-based Oklehueha Native American Church (ONAC) claims affiliation with the NAC, the National Council of Native American Churches publicly rejected any connection with ONAC in 2016. ONAC has attempted to claim legal protection for its use of marijuana, ayahuasca, and other drugs. However, the NAC maintains that peyote alone serves as a sacrament, backed by historic evidence for its religious significance, and that any other drug use constitutes both cultural appropriation and illegal activity.
Bibliography
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Gill, Sam. "Native American Spirituality." World Religions in America: An Introduction. 4th ed. Ed. Jacob Neusner. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009. 22–26. Print.
Fonseca, Felicia. "Native Church's Lawsuit Spurs Training for Screeners at a Dozen Airports after Accusing TSA Agent of Poorly Handling Religious Items." The Salt Lake Tribune, 13 Feb. 2018, www.sltrib.com/news/nation-world/2018/02/08/native-churchs-lawsuit-spurs-training-for-airport-screeners. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019.
"National Council Does Not Condone Faux Native American Churches or Marijuana Use." Indian Country Today, 8 Feb. 2016, newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/archive/national-council-does-not-condone-faux-native-american-churches-or-marijuana-use-d77YI0XCI06MwiDZyNHuDA. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019.
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"‘Native American’ Church Sues the Feds to Get Its Pot Back." The Daily Beast, 27 Jan. 2016, www.thedailybeast.com/native-american-church-sues-the-feds-to-get-its-pot-back. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019.