Sunday November 30, 2008, 8:06 am
I thought the U. S. government wasn't supposed to get in the way of religion?!

Sunday November 30, 2008, 8:28 am
I guess we'd better confiscate all that "body and blood of Christ" until all those people can prove they're really Catholic then.

Sunday November 30, 2008, 8:31 am
Perhaps "Flaming Eagle" should consider moving to the Navajo Rez! It is "legal" to have and use religious peyote there...

Sunday November 30, 2008, 8:32 am
Right on, Kate!

Sunday November 30, 2008, 8:40 am
They're using the technicality of his "tribal status" so that they can say they're not interfering with religion, although they clearly are.

The implications here are that this religion is only grudgingly tolerated, and the ways and wisdom of this path limited by goverment defintion of racial & cultural identity.

Food for thought. Thanks, Kat !

Sunday November 30, 2008, 8:43 am
I suggest that a person's religion does not have to be accepted or even tolerated by ANY human(s)...

Sunday November 30, 2008, 9:34 am
15,000 peyote buttons! good luck on getting them back. i remember lots of (drug?) bust in san francisco back in the sixties, where confiscated ceremonial parfanalia mysteriously disappeared or the amounts diminished from evidence files. the feds must have something better to do.

Sunday November 30, 2008, 11:13 am
Another crazy, controlling idea. Well then, stop Roman Catholic priests from drinking wine in their ceremonies. From all the red-nosed Catholic priests, I imagine there's more drinking away from the altar than at the altar.

Sunday November 30, 2008, 11:24 am
Noted and forwarded Kat.

Sunday November 30, 2008, 1:28 pm
Meow Kat,This is illelegal as Hell,native american religion is Peyote sacraments in ceremonies.Unjust is the mind whom throws away the Wisdom of Sacred gifts of Mother Earths.Anumpeshi

Sunday November 30, 2008, 2:16 pm
There's that "federally recognized tribe" bit again. Sometimes, the government just doesn't know when to leave well enough alone....

Sunday November 30, 2008, 3:30 pm
Yeh, I hear you, Debbie! We're tribes, whether they recognize us or not!

Sunday November 30, 2008, 3:35 pm
Why is it only Indian people must be "federally recognized" to be able to follow their religion. And so that prevents anyone not "federally recognized" from having their freedom of religion if they want to follow their faith in that manner. The Government does not ask Catholic's to prove they are Italian, or the Jewish faith to present documents, and if the rest of us want to go from being a Methodist to becoming a Catholic it is up to us and the Catholic church to work that out...not the Federal Government. I suppose the Indian could become a Christian but a Christian can not practice the way of the Native American....oh...oh I see....we still are only placating to these savages...God forbide if we should let one of these non Indian citizens or someone not "federally recognized" turn out to follow the Native American religious ways. Phew, I'm so glad our Government is protecting the likes of "Flaming Eagle" he might feel happy one day he was saved from his errant ways. Gezzzz...and the beat goes on. Oh I hope everyone picked up my sarcasm here.

Sunday November 30, 2008, 3:58 pm
The sheer arrogance of that phrase...."Federally recognized tribes..." Despicable.

Sunday November 30, 2008, 4:16 pm
There are many non-Native Americans who find value in the tribal religions and they are prohibited from practicing them, because of the "federally recognized tribes" clause. It exerts a control and limit on these native ways that is frustrating.

Sunday November 30, 2008, 5:08 pm
After reading the story my comment would be that this is another case of the Federal Government defining what is and what is not a religion... and who is and who is not a member!

Sunday November 30, 2008, 6:00 pm
I understand it is legal on Reservations.. However I thought that we had finally taken some steps away from Religious Discrimination, especially one of the oldest in this country. Too much contro up there in dumb fed house....and yes,I agree about Catholic Priests.. sexual abuse.. etc etc..... give me a brea.............k...........................

Sunday November 30, 2008, 6:41 pm
This is absolutely MEDIEVAL--it's as if the Moslems took away the Catholic priests' WINE....

Sunday November 30, 2008, 6:54 pm
It makes me wonder what the government is so afraid of...

Sunday November 30, 2008, 6:59 pm
When will they ever leave them alone, this is there way of worship then so be it no one has the right to tell them how or or what they can or can not do period. Judge no one for you shall be judged your self. Thanks Kat

Sunday November 30, 2008, 7:01 pm
noted thank you

Sunday November 30, 2008, 9:09 pm
Heya and Kudos to you, Kat;
Yet another situation of the wrong idea perpetuated by so-called powers at be, in making unintelligent decisions about what is deemed Sacred and who has the right to practice their rituals.
This story reminds me of a similar situation I went through when flying from Vancouver to L.A in May of 2001 with my Healing Stick(a Rain Stick,given to me a few years previously) which was replete with various feathers, most of them Eagle, which either had been given to me or I'd found along the local coastline.
The custom officers were baffled as how to deal with me because I'm also non-status Lakota and listed as an independent Holistic Healer and calmly said so that wherever I go, my lady friend( my rain Stick) Rising Star, comes with me . After a few minutes of quietly watching their confusion over what they should do , they finally let me carry on, rather perplexed by the entire scenerio.
So I'm hoping that the Gentleman will win his case and pray for his situation to be resolved . I'm incredulous that they still dare to even try such a thing but we can't forget that for many years,our ancestors were not allowed to do their SunDances, hold Potlatches or Pow-Wows.
Nun wah doe he yah duh . Love and Peace in our Quest For Truth

Monday December 1, 2008, 5:34 am
Peace and love...

Monday December 1, 2008, 1:05 pm
Outrageous.

Monday December 1, 2008, 3:13 pm
noted thank you Kat

Monday December 1, 2008, 3:56 pm
thank you and noted..
I say give the man his peyote back damnit. I'm serious. He uses it in religious ceremonies, fine. GIVE HIM BACK HIS PEYOTE!!!!!!

Monday December 1, 2008, 4:50 pm
15,000 peyote buttons! thats some tom robbins stuff right there.

Monday December 1, 2008, 8:55 pm
so more or less we only tolerated the "body and blood of christ" in the us. oh that's right white men(catholics) did kill out the american indian when they came here didn't they?...

Monday December 1, 2008, 10:37 pm
"Federally recognized tribes..." sounds like an oxymoron. I guess we are all about freedom of religion as long as your a "persecuted" Christian. Who's sacrament would Jesus steal?

Tuesday December 2, 2008, 4:53 am
No offense to Utah but people we are talking about Utah here! Before smoking was banned in a lot of places they banned it when they could. I wonder what they are doing with those buttons though, lol! They should not have interfered as far as I am concerned! Thanks and noted!