Politics and Profits Vs. Protection

Why Peyote Conservation Matters

Peyote is a ceremonial sacrament for hundreds of thousands of Native American Church (NAC) members, yet its natural habitat is under severe threat. Peyote requires many years to reach maturity, but its scarcity is a rapidly growing problem. This is largely the result of short sighted and prejudicial policies that have been in place for decades. The rate of land destruction and peyote depletion far outpaces current and future ceremonial supply needs.

 

This chart only tracks quantity and price up to 2016. The situation has  deteriorated since that time. As of 2024, cost per thousand averages $650 and it is common to receive quantities of plants that are less than the size of a dime. 

Supply Vs. Demand

One might argue that raising the price would reduce demand, but the unique nature of peyote’s place as “Spiritual Food” in NAC ceremonies means the standard rules of supply and demand have little bearing on the amount distributed. Largely, the only limiting factor is supply, not demand. Therefore, with every price increase, more harvest pressure is directly applied to remaining populations, as there is more incentive to make the sale. As prices rise and populations shrink, more illegal importing occurs from the similarly threatened peyote populations south of the border in Mexico. 

(Graph images from Ermakova, Terry, Trout, 2022)

Policy Prejudice and Legal Challenges

The classification of Lophophora williamsii as a Schedule I substance in 1970 marked a significant turning point leading to peyote’s diminishment. Although an exemption was included which allows NAC members to purchase and use peyote for ceremonial purposes, this classification effectively barred avenues for conservation, accelerating the species' decline. Despite its cultural and spiritual significance, peyote has been subjected to a legal framework that prioritizes profit over preservation. This results in a legal bias toward extinction.

Monetization and Land
Conversion

The conversion of land for agricultural, oil, solar, and wind power farms has further accelerated the destruction of peyote habitats in South Texas. Land conversion means land scraping, a destructive practice that disrupts the entire ecological community. Peyote is a co-victim of this destruction along with a host of other interdependent species. For people who rely on peyote as their sacrament, this destruction might be better described as desecration. The policies which have enabled this pernicious trend value profits over the preservation of this sacred medicine and the ecological habitat in which it grows.

A Legal Bias Toward Extinction

The absence of provisions which would allow for conservation and remediation in both Federal and Texas State laws has led to the current reality: destroying peyote has been normalized and is profitable, while efforts to protect, conserve, and rescue the plant is not. This amounts to cultural and generational theft.

Morning Star Conservancy's Mission

Morning Star Conservancy was founded by NAC members who recognize their spiritual responsibility to protect their sacrament. Through prayer and action, we are committed to setting an example of sustainable stewardship. Our goal is to establish a pathway for peyote's future that is honorable and non-commercialized, ensuring its survival simply for its own right to exist and for the prayers of generations to come.

Emphasizing the Urgency

It's essential to underscore the urgency of the situation:

while destroying peyote for profit is ongoing and technically legal, conservation of our sacred medicine technically is not.

This stark and unjust discrepancy highlights the need to proceed forward with a realistic plan of action to protect this highly threatened sacred plant

Listen to learn why conservation matters!