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Article: Must say no. (peyote in ceremonies of the Native American Church)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- October 6, 1990
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1990 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Must say no
AMERICAN Indians have long used peyote--parts of the cactus Lophophora williamsii that contain an hallucinogenic drug, mescaline--to communicate with the Great Spirit. In 1985 Alfred Smith and Galen Black lost their jobs as alcohol and drug counsellors in Oregon after admitting they used peyote in ceremonies of the Native American Church (NAC). They applied for unemployment compensation from the state, but were turned down because their employer had listed misconduct as the reason for their dismissal. They denied the charge. The ensuing legal battle in the Oregon state courts went twice to the Supreme Court. It has now ended. The outcome: one of ...