A “Native American Church” Without Native Americans
harpersmagazine.substack.com
May 15 • 50M
A “Native American Church” Without Native Americans
Authenticity, appropriation, good intentions, and profiteering
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Harper’s Magazine
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Do non-indigenous people have a right to perform or practice indigenous rituals? There’s no single answer, as Native Americans are not a monolithic group with a single opinion on the matter. Sierra Crane Murdoch reports on a group of religious organizations that purportedly offer “authentic” ceremonies—run by people with dubious claims to indigenous heritage—and give their participants peyote, a medicinal plant considered a sacrament by many Native Americans.
Sierra Crane Murdoch on Twitter
Sierra Crane Murdoch’s Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman’s Search for Justice in Indian Country on Bookshop.org