Chumash Religion

Datura

Island Chumash Plant Usage Guide Stop 5

The dark-green foliage and white, trumpet-shaped flowers of datura (momoy) are a common sight on the mainland, especially in places where the soil has been disturbed. Datura may originally have been imported to the Channel Islands by the Chumash, who used it for ritual as well as medicinal purposes.

Datura, also known as jimsonweed or thornapple, contains several powerful alkaloids that can be highly toxic. Hallucinations of flying, dancing, and bodily dissolution are common symptoms of datura ingestion. Related species were used for ritual purposes among many societies in Asia, Africa, medieval Europe, and North America. In Chumash oral literature, datura was personified as an old woman named Momoy. Chumash shamans used datura to enter a hallucinogenic trance, during which they would consult with spiritual beings and diagnose serious illnesses. Datura was also used as an anesthetic for setting broken bones and treating severe wounds.

Important note: Chumash shamans were familiar with the effects of datura and highly skilled in administering the proper dosages. Casual experimentation with datura is extremely dangerous and frequently leads to severe nerve and brain damage-even death.