A “Native American Church” Without Native Americans

The Harper’s Podcast

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. Read Murdoch’s story: https://harpers.org/archive/2023/06/a-native-american-church-without-native-americans-take-the-medicine-to-the-white-man/ Take our podcast survey: harpers.org/survey Subscribe to the magazine for only $16.97: harpers.org/save