The healing sacrament of the Huichol tradition is the herb Peyote. It is referred to as "the medicine" to avoid the too frequent use of a sacred name of God (the Flesh of God). Our preparatory healing ceremonies are designed to assist people bound in our western civilization and western cultural tradition. In this tradition, the peyote cactus is eaten or drunk as a tea as a sacramental medicine used to heal "the hard things." The Huichol people say that peyote helps people be born-again, to see the truth, and to assist sincere and faithful seekers to be "of one heart and of one mind."

David Hamblin does not administer peyote in these ceremonies. Sadly, it is specifically outlawed for general use in religious observance by the State of Utah where we live. Utah has recently established a religion - directly contrary to the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment - by requiring peyote ceremonies to be conducted only by religious leaders of Federally Recognized tribes. For the first time in the United States, a person has to be a specific heritage to practice a specific religion. For other faiths, a person who participates with them and takes their sacraments is an internal, church matter (as in the LDS, Protestant or Catholic faiths). The State of Utah is imposing governmental restrictions on religious observance. This is outrageous. It is especially outrageous because one half of all Indians in the United States do not belong to Federally Recognized tribes. Thanks to Utah law, half of all federally recognized Indians in Utah are left out. Also left out are all Hispanics whose heritage is the ancient peyote religion of Mexico. Of course, the Utah law intentionally leaves out all Whites, even those who have Native American ancestry. But the truth is, you don.t have to be Italian to be Catholic or German to be a Lutheran. Only now has race ever been a basis for religious observance in "the land of the free." One of our goals is to get Utah law makers to recognize how unconstitutional this law is, and correct it.

Because the Native American tradition represented by the Huichol tribe originates from Mexico they do not have standing to administer the sacred medicine under Utah Indian religion law (the words "Indian religion law" are an oxymoron). The Federal government is likewise still threatening the Native American Church with prosecution if a Peyote Ceremony is performed. In the tradition that David Hamblin serves and represents, it would take him at least 10 years to train to qualify to administer peyote as a healing sacrament. He reveres peyote - but it is not his medicine. When this unconstitutional Utah law is overturned the true representatives of the Huichol tradition will come to help us with an adapted version of their beautiful, healing medicine and life ways. We advise that you never ingest the medicine outside of an authentic Native American Ceremony. Also, unless the Holy Spirit plainly endorses a medicine man or woman, our advice would be to stay clear. There is plenty of work for us to do until the Huichol holy men and women can come to our aid (without fear of State sponsored persecution) before we get to partake of peyote, the flesh of God. Let us quickly learn to live up to what God has already granted us so we will receive more.