In the 1870s and ’80s, the Peyote Church spread rapidly from its origins in Northern Mexico to Indian reservations across the western United States. Its ceremonies included all-night rituals of song, dance, prayer, and repeated consumption of the psychoactive buttons of the peyote cactus. Anglo politicians grew deeply concerned by the rise of the “Peyote Cult” and, fearing Indian rebellions, outlawed its use. A decade later, Comanche chief Quanah Parker stood up to testify in front of the Oklahoma legislature on whether that prohibition should be repealed or upheld.
