Smoke Signals May 1991 page 15
Ik -
When the Eagle Feather drops
Man Urges Panel To Protect
Use Of Peyote
SALEM, Oregon - A man who took his fight to protect
sacramental use of peyote all the way to the U.S.
Supreme Court has told a legislative panel that peyote is
a "sacred medicine" that has brought him spiritual
healing.
Alfred Smith said he and other American
Indians should be allowed to legally use peyote in
religious ceremonies so that they could "worship and
pray as our ancestors did."
"I want to ask for your help," Smith told a
House Judiciary subcommittee Friday. "The God I pray
to is the same god you pray to."
Smith's testimony came on a bill, HB 3039,
that's aimed at allowing sacramental use of peyote, a
cactus button that contains the illegal drug mescaline, in
rituals of the Native American Church.
The measure would not legalize the peyote use.
Rather, it would create a new legal defense under state
law in which use of the substance could be defended on
grounds that it was part of a religious ceremony.
Smith, 71, testified that the sacramental use of
peyote by American Indians dates back centuries.
He said his own experience with peyote is that it
doesn't make him "drunk or high" but gives him a
heightened sense of spiritual awareness.
"The drug we have to worry about is alcohol,"
Smith, a recovering alcoholic, told lawmakers. "It has
devastated Native Americans across this land."
"It protects religous integrity whitout opening
the floodgates to drug abuse. "
- Rep. Jim Edmundson
Smith and another man, Galen Black, were
dismissed as counselors for a Douglas County drug
rehabilitation program after they admitted they used
peyote in rituals of the Native American Church.
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the state's
denial of unemployment benefits to the two men and
also said that the sacramental use of peyote is not
protected by the U.S. Constitution.
The bill considered by the judiciary panel
Friday is sponsored by Representative Jim Edmunson,
Democrat-Eugene, who said the ruling by the nation's
top court amounted to "cultural genocide."
"My embarrassment and anger were immedi
ate" after the Supreme Court ruling a year ago, Edmun
son said. "I knew we had to have this bill."
Edmunson said the intent of his bill is that the
new legal defense would be available only when peyote
use is directly associated with the rituals of a "bona fide"
religion.
"It protects religious integrity without opening
the floodgates to drug abuse," the Eugene lawmaker
said.
Phil Lemman, a spokesman for Oregon Attor
ney General Dave Frohnmayer, said Friday his boss
hasn't taken a position on the bill.
In arguments before the Supreme Court in
November 1989, Frohnmayer said establishing a consti
tutional right to take peyote in religious ceremonies
would allow use of a dangerous hallucinogenic drug and
could lead to broader drug use.
Over two hundred years ago, there was a story about
two Tribes who were bitter enemies, always fighting over
hunting territories, horses and women. At that time,
most Tribes were nomadic on the plains, following the
buffalo and game.
There was a large war party, estimated in the hun
dreds, whose dust from their horses could be seen for
miles. The battle went for days, as war parties charged
and then re-treated. Many coup and scalps were taken.
During one of the invading party's re-treats, a feather
had fallen and was left behind.
Only distinguished warriors had the right to wear eagle
feathers. Each eagle feather represented life taken in
battle. The notching and coloring of eagle feathers
represented various brave deeds in the taking of the
enemy.
One of the warriors who was in pursuit noticed the
eagle feather and notified the war chief. The chief
stopped the pursuit and told his warriors, "if these
people are truly warriors and respect this feather, they
will come back to retrieve it."
So they immediately set up an ambush and waited.
Finally, that nighi a small group of the enemy returned,
searching the ground and bushes. As they approached
the feather, they were captured, tied and blindfolded.
The captured enemy began singing their death songs
since their fate was inevitable.
But when they were taken to the village, the chief gave
a feast and gifts to the captives. He announced to his
people, "even though we are bitter enemies, the respect
and meaning of the eagle feather is the same. We are
all taught by the same Great Spirit and should respect
his teachings." Their wounds were taken care of, they
were given fresh horses and sent on their way with this
message.
The message still remains among many of the tradi
tional Tribes of the plains who follow the pow-wow way
of life. "If our ancestors could stop an entire war to
retrieve an eagle feather, then it shouldn't be too hard to
stop a pow-wow to do the same."
Historically and traditionally, it is the right of any
wounded warrior to retrieve a fallen eagle feather. The
eagle feather is the spirit of a fallen warrior and can only
be matched in power by the same. This practice still
remains over the centuries and should not be altered
because of the consequences. Recording and photo-'
graphing such a ceremony is strictly forbidden. The
spirit will show if self in its own time, especially to the
young and innocent.
One cannot emphasize enough the importance of
maintaining a clean body and spirit free of any "bad
medicine" at pow-wows, especially in the presence of
many distinguished warriors.
Over the last number of years, pow-wows have become
more than just a profession, but a way of life. Ceremo
nies such as this have not changed because this is the
foundation upon which the pow-wow was originated. It
is the right of all veterans, dressed in regalia or not, to
dance in any pow-wow arena.
Those Tribes that adhere to strict traditions and
customs will allow only wounded veterans to dance and
retrieve the spirit of the feather.
The pow-wow of today uses four veterans, representing
the four cardinal directions to dance around the feather.
The first two verses are straight verses with no down
beats, paying respect to the Creator and the spirit of the
fallen warrior, the next four verses will have the dancers
charge the feather on the downbeat. The downbeat
represents the cannon and gunfire in any song, so in the
case of this ceremony, the veterans are charging the
gunfire of the enemy. Each will charge with his right
hand extended to "touch" or take coup. Those who
have not taken coup will use an eagle fan, because they
are not strong enough to touch the spirit, Again, this is
very important to follow, because of the grave conse
quences to be paid if one insults the spirits. After the
sixth verse, the honored veteran will pick the feather up
with his left hand and give a warrior whoop to acknowl
edge the capture of the spirit feather.
When receiving or touching anything holy, one must
always use the left hand. This tradition is respected by
all traditional Tribes. Once the feather is picked up, the
warrior will face the east and acknowledge the spirit
world in his own language. It is imperative not to lie
during the whole ceremony because of the presence of
the deceased warrior. The veteran is addressing both
the spirit of the fallen warrior and the spirit world, and
he must appease them by telling an actual war story.
This story should be humble, with a lesson or message
for all to learn. Many times these stories have saved
lives because of the lessons contained in them.
When the story is finished, the warrior will return the
eagle feather to the person who dropped it. By bringing
the spirit back from the spirit world, it will return to its
owner. The owner will usually give whatever they can as
payment for such a ceremony. It is usually determined
by the amount of respect the owner has for the eagle
fe?ther.
It is a wise thing to ensure that all eagle feathers worn
in the pow-wow arena be properly obtained and cared
for traditionally. The feathers should be respected for
what they are - a life.
Boye Ladd, from "Windspeaker"