Peyote Shrines, Remembrance, and Ritual Surrogacy in South Texas
Servando Z. Hinojosa
Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture March 13, 2024 DOI: 10.1558/jsrnc.22667 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Native American Church members and peyote dealers in South Texas |
| Topics | Mescaline |
| Keywords | Ethnology Archaeology Ancient history Anthropology |
| Key findings | Peyote shrines in South Texas function as surrogate ritual sites that anchor memories, prompt acts of remembrance, and extend the ritual reach of Native American visitors who cannot access other ritual sites. |
Abstract
Peyote grows in South Texas where licensed dealers acquire it and sell it to Native American Church members. These dealers also create and maintain special shrines on their property for the visiting buyers. The shrines not only mark a portal of entry into the region but also comprise the only opportunity many Native Americans will have to see peyote growing in the ground. Prompting prayers and conversations about ‘relations’ back home, the shrines kindle many acts of remembrance, both between generations of visitors and between Native Americans and dealers. Moreover, the ways that Native Americans perform actions at the shrines that tie into rituals of thanks, gathering, and healing associated with other places underscores the shrines’ surrogate ritual importance. This matters for visitors who cannot access other ritual sites. By anchoring memories and challenging conventional thinking about agency, peyote shrines activate thinking about kindred while extending the ritualists’ reach into adjacent spaces.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on mescaline, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peyote as Earth Medicine: Examining How Symbolic Meanings Shape Experiences With Psychedelics People who use peyote in religious ceremonies | 2023 | Photo-ethnography | |
| The Use of Peyote as Treatment for Alcoholism within the NAC Community: Reflections on a Study | 2011 | Interview | |
| Psychedelic trip sitting, dosages and intensities: Supplementing clinical studies with anecdotal reports Posts from online psychedelic forums (The Shroomery and DMT Nexus) on trip sitting | 2024 | Qualitative study with Delphi-style expert panel review | n = 660 |
| Hitting the Reset Button: Ceremonial Use of Peyote and Experiences of Personal Change People who attended peyote ceremonies in rural Northcentral Alabama | 2024 | Photo-ethnography | |
| The San Pedro Cactus (Equinopsis pachanoi): Ancestral and Modern Therapeutic Uses in Peru Curanderos in the Túcume district of northern Peru | 2025 | Qualitative study |