Newsgroups: alt.drugs Subject: Australian Aboriginals 01 From: [rocky frisco] at [bgbbs.com] (Rocky Frisco) Date: Wed, 16 Feb 94 00:15:00 -0600 PP> I would like start a thread discussing the spirituality of the PP> Australian Aborigine, their understanding of altered states and PP> higher consciousness, and any possibility of their use of PP> psychedelics. PP> Firstly, the aus_high FAQ states that it is not believed (or at least PP> never discovered) that Aborigines ever used native plants as PP> psychedelics. From my observations, I believe that this may not be PP> the case, however, proving it may be difficult, if not impossible. Paul, I have some comments you might find interesting. The Hopi people, like the Aboriginal inhabitants of Australia, are said to use no mind- alterants. I also doubt the truth of this, about both cultures. The only reference to Hopi use of psychedelics I have ever found is in Wm. Emboden's book "Narcotic Plants", quoted in the following paragraph: The ethnobotany of the Hopi Indians which has been so well documented by Alfred Whiting makes mention of a divinatory root belonging to the four o'clock family - Nyctaginaceae. Growing at elevations of 2500 to 6500 feet on the hillsides throughout Arizona, Mirabilis Multiflora (Quamoclidon multiflorum) extends into Utah, Colorado and North Mexico. Among rocks and shrubs, one finds this attractive plant revealing magenta flowers among the dark-green foliage. The Hopis use the root for stomach ailments, but a Hopi `Medicine Man' uses a copious amount of so'ksi or so'kya by chewing on the large root while making his diagnosis; this permits him to expel the evil spirits residing in the body of the sick person. No one has yet isolated the active ingredient of this visionary root. - end quote. Aparently, the Hopi themselves deny that they use any such substances, however they are also wisely reticent about most of their religious practices, since it is widely known that the dominant culture of the continent is bigoted and misinformed about indigenous culture and prone to misuse any information gained. During one of my visits to the Hopi mesas, in the summer of 1975, while I was sitting on my motorcycle in front of a trading post at Hotevilla, Arizona, a young Hopi Man ambled over and enquired whether I had any pot. He said he had been living in California and learned to like it and that it wasn't available on the mesas. When I explained that I didn't have any and asked the location of the home of the `Medicine Person' I had come to visit, he smiled and pointed out the location. The ancient Hopi, often called `Anasazi', like their modern counterparts, held many of their ceremonies in the `kiva', a circular underground room with an elaborate ventilation system. An anthropologist I once met told me that she had got herself in a great deal of trouble for attempting to report a substance she found in most of the fire-pits in the kivas she excavated. She said it was charred hemp-seed. -Rock PP> Nature. The similarities however, are quite evident. Both use a PP> mixture of thin outlines, and filled with lines or dot patterns. I PP> have not seen the dot drawings in any other culture (Prior to seeing PP> the Mexican works, I had assumed that it was a uniquely Aboriginal PP> style). The petroglyphs of the ancient Hopi use the same dot pattern when the object, animal or person being depicted is a "spirit" or ghost. PP> However, it is not presently believed that they used psychedelics. PP> Is there any other reasonable link, or perhaps just very well PP> guarded secrets. I personally think it is the latter. PP> I definately believe that the Aboriginals understood the concept of PP> altered states of conscious. If you listen to their music you will PP> appreciate what I mean. I tend to agree. -Rock * RM 1.2 * Eval Day 13 * RoboMail -- The next generation QWK compatible reader!