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Non-Indian peyote case could head to Supreme Court
Monday, August 16, 2004
The state of Utah is considering an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of non-Indians who claim the right to use peyote.
In June, the Utah Supreme Court said the state couldn't bar non-Indians from using the drug. The court said all Native American Church members, regardless of race, are protected under a federal exemption.
Other Native American Church practitioners do not feel the same way. They believe non-Indians are abusing the sacrament of their religion.
Federal law allows peyote for members of federally recognized tribes. A man in Utah who claims Indian heritage but it not enrolled in any tribe was busted for possession of the hallucinogenic.
Get the Story:
Peyote, Indian Religion and the Issue of Exclusivity
(The New York Times 8/14)
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Get the Decision:
State
of Utah v. Mooney (June 22, 2004)
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