The guy who started this goes by the name Quetzal and does seem to be from Central America. As to the term Cultural Patrimony - it is a term commonly used in the Indigenous Peoples Permanent Forum, and US law. It is part of NAGPRA [25 USC 3001 (3)(D)] and most legislation concerning sacred items passed after 1979.
First let me say, I am not a member of the NAC, But Peyote has a very long history in the Americas, the Spanish were writing about it in 1600. I understand that its use within the NAC and the mix with Christianity can be seen as not traditional, but if you talk to many Cheyenne, Kiowa, Commanche, Arapahoe, Choctaw, etc. it is considered traditional. Many ceremonial leaders are both Sun Dancers and NAC and don't see a conflict. The use of Peyote was not just in Mexico, but also in the American southwest where it is known to go go back hundreds of years. As to the S. Cheyenne, merging traditional use into the Christian church was one way to save some traditions under forced conversion. There are records of men like Roman Nose and Co-hoe who returned home from boarding school having blended the use of Peyote into the required Christianization. On a document dated 1885 Co-hoe signed it stating that he was an officer of the American Indian Peyote Church. I think I will leave me judgement of the NAC open since no one here seems to have ever actually been to a meeting or has first hand knowledge or what happens inside a meeting. Also, according to writers like Don Coyhes, and despite the disagreements of if it is "traditional" it seems that the rules of the church are rather admirable. No alcohol, sharing what you have, no harming of others, taking care of the family, when married no running around on your spouse, children come first...
Lakota) who was always quick to mention when people started talking about "tradition" that if you want tradition to be what was done before Columbus you have to remember to remove all horses, beads, iron, ribbon shirts, and most of what people think of when they think of American Indians.
