DATURA: A Native American Symbol and Vehicle of the Divine

By Julie Cordero

Wherever the plant Datura is found in the world, it is a plant of great religious significance. Also known as Jimsonweed, Thorn Apple, and Toloache, Datura and its close botanical relative, Brugmansia, which is native to South America, are powerful hallucinogens. Since it appears as a character in the creation stories of many indigenous cultures, Datura figures as a major religious and cultural symbol. For Native American tribes of southern California, the huge white trumpet blossom symbolizes one particularly important story that forms the basis for the practice and belief systems of the Chingichnich religious complex. Chingichnich was a man, born of the union between a human woman and the sun, who is called Kakunupmawa in the Chumash language of California’s central coast. Born during a period of great unrest among the people, the story goes, Chingichnich came to the world to show the people the right way to treat each other and the land. The knowledge of how to properly use the plant Datura in the people’s quest for enlightenment and contact with the spirit world helped the Chumash people better understand the many gifts of wisdom and peace offered by Chingichnich. The use of Datura for prayer and enlightenment is similar to the use of Peyote cactus by Native Nations of the American southwest and northern Mexico.

While the Chingichnich story shares some obvious similarities to the Christian story of Jesus Christ, its primary symbol, the Datura flower, carries meaning that grew out of cultural and spiritual philosophical frameworks not related to those found among Judeo-Christian peoples. Among the Chumash people, whose traditional territory extends from San Luis Obispo, California in the north to Malibu in the south, the practices and belief systems of the Chingichnich religious complex were held in trust by the doctor-priests known as the ‘antap. These religious, political, and economic leaders would ritually partake of a carefully prepared, measured dose of the highly toxic plant. They would then divine the Chumash people’s place in the world, pray for continued prosperity, and seek answers to the mysteries of nature and of the stars. The knowledge of astronomy developed by the ‘antap has been compared by some anthropologists and archaeologists to that developed by the Maya and Aztec peoples. Several tribes to the south of the Chumash shared, with much variation, these practices, skills, and the ability to prosper successfully over many millennia. There is much debate as to whether the Chingichnich religious complex originated with the Chumash or with the Tongva, the indigenous Nation located in what is now Los Angeles County.

Datura as a religious symbol has carried over into contemporary Native American life, largely due to its prominence in the oral traditions and as an important symbol of the passage of time. Since Datura’s striking white flowers can clearly be seen dotting the hills and roadsides on moonlit nights, there is a long-standing association among southern California Indian people between Datura and the moon. Along with the moon, Datura is also thought to have a connection with ocean tides and the passage of the time. In the Chumash language, the word for Datura and the word for the moon are the same word – Momoy. The words designating the months begin with the phrase hesiq’momoy, which roughly translates as "the month of." January is called hesiq’momoy momoy, "the month of momoy."

Cultures in other parts of the world have also long revered Datura as a potent religious symbol. It is mentioned as a powerful hallucinogen in both early Sanskrit and Chinese writings. Datura’s potent yet often deadly chemical action is both highly sought after and deeply feared. In this seemingly contradictory light, it appears in depictions of the Vedic deity Shiva, the sacred entity of war, death, and creativity. Clearly, the deadly white flower of the Datura plant has inspired many peoples to pay tribute to its power, which can either enlighten or kill.

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