Historic photo of sacred dance at Tishawnik in California. Photo from California State Parks

Members of the Karuk Tribe of California stopped followers of a self-proclaimed medicine man from planting marijuana at a sacred site.

Tribal members became suspicious when they saw outsiders at Tishawnik, a sacred dance ground. They detained a man who said he belonged to the Oklevueha Native American Church.

The group was started by James Warren Flaming Eagle Mooney, a man who has faced legal troubles in Utah for using peyote. He's apparently branching out into marijuana use.

Local authorities ended up seizing more than 600 plants from the site, The Two Rivers Tribune reported. The suspect and his son are facing arrest in Humboldt County.

Tishawnik is in private hands. The tribe has been trying to acquire the land.

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