Native American Church Sues To Prevent Peyote Arrests

The Oklevueha Native American Church on Monday filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Utah seeking to enjoin state and federal officials from arresting or bringing criminal charges against church members for their use of Peyote.  Yesterday's Salt Lake Tribune reports that members of the federally recognized Native American Oklevueha Church have been harassed, arrested and prosecuted in Utah.  Native American religious practices have spread beyond those with tribal ancestry, but U.S. law grants a religious exemption for the use of Peyote only to those who are members of federally recognized Indian tribes.