Back to TPF Homepage
Click Here for Opnion on Native/Non-Native Religious Use of Peyote
What follows here is an e-mail exchange between a fellow who calls himself "Onetime", and TPF President, Leonard Mercado. Though the conversation grew somewhat heated at times, we present this to our readers in the spirit of open communication and the brotherhood of all mankind.
I Welcome Your Comments.
Leonard Mercado
(Onetime's comments are presented in italics)
>Dear Scam Artist,
>
>How dare you use my cultural ancestor's medicine to make money for
>yourselves. If youu do not cease your orginization's goals I will refer
>you website to the proper authorties in your area, so they can be aware
>that you are growing peyote illegally!
>
>Your organization is a "crock!" Native peoples do not use medicine to
>make money!
>
>Onetime
Whatever,
We do not allow ego-hyping, intolerant and
uninformed condemnation, nor racism to enter our
lives. We are simply people working for the
sacrament of our church, earning an honest
living by the work that we do. We do not make
money from this medicine, nor do we intend to.
Perhaps your assumption that we do is based on
your own disposition and not ours. As to the
local authorities, rest assured they are well
aware of our activities and have been for many
years. In fact, just yesterday I hand-delivered
the latest copy of The Peyote foundation Journal
to the Chief-Detective. A Lakota brother of ours
has recently arranged for an education
presentation sponsored by the local police
department. Our intents are sincere and
supported by many chapters and members of the
Native American Church and other native religious
groups. One man cannot judge the whole world
based on assumptions my unhappy relative. May
Great Spirit ease your mind and heart.
Sincerely,
Leonard Mercado
>"Only the white man can call himself honest" my friend. In the white
>mans mind he seeks greed, lust, and status! My friend
>this is not your fault you are born into your anglo-society? A society
>that nutures those 3 elements into your mind thru "public school,
>television, and mass media" I could believe
>that you are honest and sincere but! you are non-indian! and you are
>not born in the ways in which you have now chosen, I am!
>
>Your "crock organization" upsets me because you have lifetime membership
>feesof $1000 dollars. My NAC nor any other NAC does not charge
>membership fees. The majority NAC funds that is accumulated goes
>for more church services, not for profit or "newsletters"
>
>As for your local police, well, I will now refer your website
>to government authorties. So prepared for your legal documents
>to be presented to government authorties.
Onetime,
With proper respect, I hope you will read this
additional note.
I understand your point of view, I think, and
your displeasure with what you might think we're
up to or our motives. However, we don't charge
for anything but subscription costs. We do
allow people to help with founding, and other
memberships if they wish. But believe me, it
takes all our personal income to continue the
work we do. Yes, as an NAC group our money
also goes into more services, two more of which
we are hosting this month. Do you really
believe we have money to take and run, or
entertain ourselves with? Maybe this speaks more
to you than I. Our motive has never been to
profit, but to serve. We would not even be in
existence were it not for the overwhelming
support of Native American Church officers who go
out of their way to see that the conservation and
education efforts we initiated survive and
blossom. Also, we are totally within the laws of
our state with full legal counsel and community
support. Oh yes, when you "report" us to
government authorities, please give them our new
web address- http://www.peyote.net
In my talks with the chief counsel of the DEA in
Washington DC, and other legal and enforcement
agencies, I have always made it clear that open
communication and education is one of our major
goals. So I want to thank you for assisting us in
this process.
My own ancestry is native, south of the border,
my grandmothers and grandfathers being
traditional people, growing and gathering their
food into the early part of this century. I was
also raised by parents who insisted that we
undertand our own culture while living in the
present. I was raised with respect for my
elders and people of all tribes and
nationalities. (perhaps you were not) The
mainstream culture which you assume I am immersed
in, in actuality, affects my beliefs and habits
less than you imagine. We homeschool our boy
exactly because we do not believe in the public
school mentality. I don't have a tv, I don't
watch it. I refrain from the news of the day,
prefering instead the reality of solid desert
living. I live on a rural ranch-homestead far
from any urban area. We grow and eat the
traditional indigeneous crops whose seeds were
handed down through generations within families
(including my own) we know and love. We in fact
live more traditionally than most of my relatives
on any reservation. Yes, I have a computer, it's
an old one given to us by an attorney who is the
statutory agent for our organization and believes
in the work we do. Yesterday, I recieved a formal
request by an NAC group to help sponsor a bill in
congress to further protect the right of native
people in California to worship in their
traditional ways. We are making progress toward
conserving the sacrament for future generations,
including your descendants. Without knowing me,
I wonder how you can condemn this work so
freely? Could it be mere racial or spiritual
prejudice, or perhaps overwhelming
self-righteousness? Whatever it may be, I don't
hold it against you other than in my hope that
you have a desire to improve the world around you
with some tool other than spite. It saddens me
to read such angry words from someone whose good
qualities are probably also abundant. All I ask
is that you not pre-judge me by what you assume
any more than I would pre-judge you as a
pimply-faced teenager on mom's computer with too
much time on their hands, a chip on their
shoulder, and a sorry line of BS.
Be well my assumimg relative.
One final comment Onetime, not as an attack on
you, or even in my own defense, but simply to
make things clear as to my feelings on your
attitude and accusations...
>Dear BIA-Save the Indians-leo two tongues,
>
>I am sure your intent of your organization is only for good, your
>knowledge of the medicines has brought you to a higher understanding
>of the natives ways. But, once again, I must stress that to act native
>american is not the same as being native american. For hundreds of
>years the non-indians have taken our ways from native americans and
>exploited them for there personal use and for money. These traditional
>native ways are not to be exploited for money or education. The NAC is
>not like mainstream religion were you have to donate money to your
>religion for acceptance. The use of peyote is very sacared and I am
>trying to stress this to you. Your organization reminds me of the BIA
>agents from the 1900's or the missionaries who felt they needed to "save
>the indians" from loosing there ways, give me a break.
Your self-centered tone reminds me of the native
scouts who assisted the U.S. Calvary in
eliminating what free tribes were left on the
plains and elsewhere, seeking their own
selfish benefit, not due to belief in a better
life in store for their brethren on the
reservations, but only for hate and self gain.
Let's be clear on non-Indians ripping off Indians.
The fact is that PEOPLE rip each other off for
gain. This is not limited to non-Indians vs
Indians, or any other easy but limited explanation
of greed held in the hearts of people of ANY
race. Face it, Indians are just as likely to rip
off as anybody else. It may be your opinion that
others deserve to be ripped off by Indians,
seeing as how their ways and land were taken, but
get real! This does not justify stealing. If
you want to talk rip off, how about the Navajo
taking silversmithing and weaving from "my
people" the Mexican natives? How about the
cowboy hats, country music, chevy pickups,
gov'mt checks, and crap food that so many Indians
"steal" from white people? And since you haven't
mentioned what tribe you may be from, or what
percantage blood you claim, or even if you
actually worship using peyote (only your
"ownership" of the sacrament was mentioned), then
I must assume that if you or your people do use
peyote, that it was ripped off from the
Mexicans. Let's face it, the sacrament of the
Native American Church was in use by Mexican
tribes long before it became a plains
sacrament. Do you hear the Huichol, Tarahumara,
Cora, Tehuapan, or numerous other Mexican
tribes moaning about how they were ripped off by
North American tribes? Maybe, Onetime, you can
take the time to assemble a list of who should
be allowed to use the sacrament, what tribes and
all of that. It would be nice to get that
straight- who owns this medicine who had it
first, and who it can truly help.
You see, none of that matters to me. The
important thing is that this medicine can help
people of all backgrounds to live a better life.
If you believe this to not be so, than my
medicine must be stronger than yours. I have
seen it help whites, women, white women,
athiests, and yes, Indians- all the same. You
are most definitely racist, probably sexist, and
keep accusing me of making money from the
medicine. Not only are you wrong about this,
but your lack of self worth shows through
strongly.
I was wondering just what do you do for your
money? Do you earn it like we do, or does
somebody give it to you for being such a nice
guy? I was also wondering, what have you done
lately to help Native people, other than
mis-representing them with such malice? Did you
know that 50% of Tohono O'Odham and related
tribes suffer from diabetes, which is directly
related to their leaving the traditional foods
behind? Perhaps you could support the Native
Seeds Diabetes project which you can find info
on at- http://desert.net/seeds/home.htm
We have grown and donated the ancient food crops
to this organization which is doing alot to
preserve Native foods and traditions. Hold on, I
forgot, there are many white people who started
this group to help Natives, and they do charge
for their products (although Natives get seeds for
free), so you will probably not want to help
them. Anyway, feel free to condemn them also for
the greedy ways which they are trying to pass off
as something good.
>I seen this organization on the web and this is how it is presented,
>you may use peyote and live off the land but you will never know and I
>mean never know! what it means to be native american my friend.
>
>Before you reply with your "attack" on me remember that you must stand
>behind your website's information and how it is presented.
Yes, I stand behind how our organization is
represented on the Web. Do you stand behind how
you have represented yourself, as a hate-filled
soul with Indian pride as a handy excuse to
propagate your own lack of self worth? I wonder
how far this will get you, except of course, to
leave you as a bitter and lonely man. If being
"native american" means being like you, then I
certainly never ever want to know what it's
like. All I know is what it is like to eat this
medicine and have it show me what is so, not lay
my own opnions over it like some kind of damn
pope or skin-color-cop.
I must take it from your line of ill reasoning
that Quanah Parker was wrong to include non-Indian
officers in his originally chartered church. Also
that Smithsonian anthropologist James Mooney was
wrong in defending the peyote religion from
government interference. After all he was WHITE
(i.e.-evil). Also, that Dr. Omer Stewart and Dr.
Huston Smith have been wrong in documenting the
history and benefit of the Native American church,
since they too are white devils. You see, I too
can talk your way. The language of hate is so easy
to whip off an undisciplined and ungrateful tongue.
Unfortunately my unhappy relative, it only
brings us one step closer to our own downfall and
judgement. Therefore I have asked Grandfather
Peyote to help me to not seek the easy way of
hate, but the more difficult and healing road of
acceptance and tolerance of others.
>Oh yeah, just because a tribe has a casino and beach front property or a
>NAC club that does not make them a full-blood native.
>My fellow assuming "non-native" friend.
Oh yeah, just because somebody is "non-Indian"
does not mean they cannot give thanks to Great
Spirit at the rising sun, for a new chance at
life, or smoke the sacred Tobacco in thanking for
what we have or asking for what we may need, or be
nourished any less than their "Indian" relatives
as they partake in the morning corn, fruit, and
meat at the end of a night of worship in the
tipi. Also, being "Indian" does not mean being
holy, right, or better than anyone else. It
means being human, as we all are.
In your original note to me you demanded that we
stop our organizations goals. Since these are
Education, Conservation, and Inspiration, I was
wondering, what are the alternatives you would
prefer? Ignorance, Extinction of the
Sacrament, and Hard Hearted Hatred?
I have definitely enjoyed you correspondence.
Thank you for replying Onetime. I hope you have
the heart to consider what I've said. By the
way, were you upset about the founding
membership $ because you wanted to join? Let me
welcome you to this organization of humans as a
founding member, if you wish. No $ required.
Send me your mailing address if you would like to
receive your free issue of our journal.
>Thank you for entertaining me these past couple of days, your
>convictions are strong and that is good. I enjoyed your weak
>attempts at providing your interpretation of the "Truth". It was
>very educational for both of us, I leave with a better
>understanding that Non-Indians do not have a culture and
>so they must seek the identity of the Indians and then distort
>there ways to serve themselves. No matter what race!
>
>So, I must move on to the next "crock" organization, to
>provide them with a different perspective on things.
>
>PS. Don't beleive the movies or history books about Indians..
>..history is written by the conquerors...Only the Indians
>know the real history, so don't quote to me about the past
>if you don't know the whole story...goodbye and goodluck
>in your organization's goals..?
Back to TPF Homepage
Click Here for Opnion on Native/Non-Native Religious Use of PeyoteI Welcome Your Comments.