MEXICAN WATER, Ariz. —  For Navajo spiritual leader Steven Benally, saving a Native American religion from extinction means preserving those diminishing lands where hallucinogenic peyote grows wild. “It’s a small but important step toward realizing a prophecy,” said the 61-year-old. Preservation also means battling activists in the California Bay Area and other cities who want to legalize consumption of the psychedelic cactus. “To these outsiders, we say, ‘Leave peyote alone. Please,’” Benally said. “Is that too much to ask?”

We are pleased to announce the call for the third generation of scholarships 2020-2021 for Wixárika University students. This scholarship aims to help students with various university-related expenses such as school supplies and books, food, lodging or transportation. This year, the Wixárika Research Center, the International Friendship Club and VCEP will offer scholarships of $6,000 pesos for undergraduate students who have completed their first year of studies.