Court, Father at Odds Before Over Kids' Alleged Peyote Use

June 7, 2007

Source: The Leelanau Enterprise

http://www.leelanaunews.com/blog/2007/05/29/court-father-at-odds-before-over-kids-alleged-peyote-use/

The mother of a 7-year-old girl whose urine tested positive for mescaline claims the girl's father is giving her hallucinogenic peyote as part of sacred Native American rituals – and the mother wants it to stop.

"Peyote has nothing to do with the traditions of any Woodland Indian tribe," said the mother, a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.

"People have tried before to stop him (the girl’s father) from giving children peyote," the mother said, "but he's still at it."

Indeed, the father – also a member of the Grand Traverse Band (GTB) – was ordered in 2003 by a Newaygo County Family Court Judge to stop giving peyote to his then 4-year-old son after the mother of that child complained to officials.

The father, as well as the mother whose daughter tested positive for mescaline – plus the mother of three other children who are alleged to have been given peyote – were all at the Leelanau County Courthouse on Friday along with their attorneys.