MIRANDO CITY, Texas — The late Amada Cardenas, affectionately referred to by many as the “angel of peyote,” “peyote rose,” or simply “Grandma Amada,” holds a significant place in the cultural fabric of her community. As the first officially sanctioned peyotera in the United States, she not only contributed substantially to the peyote trade but was also honored as a wise elder and healer among the Native American peyote community.
Her residence, nestled in the small border town of Mirando City—home to fewer than 200 residents and located about 30 miles east of Laredo—stands as a testament to her legacy. This area is known among Native Americans as the peyote gardens, where the unique spineless cactus containing the sacred hallucinogen mescaline thrives, growing naturally only in this region and parts of northern Mexico.
Growing up in a community shaped by Catholic beliefs, Cardenas learned about the peyote trade early in life, guided by her father. Together with her husband, Claudio Cardenas Sr., she became one of the first federally licensed dealers of peyote, supplying the spiritual plant to members of the Native American Church during the 1930s. Following her husband’s passing in 1967, she continued to open her home to countless church members, nurturing and aiding them until her own death in 2005, just shy of her 101st birthday.
Stacy B. Schaefer, an anthropologist and Cardenas’s biographer, notes that the couple often faced legal challenges concerning the interpretation of peyote laws throughout the 20th century. They steadfastly defended Native Americans’ rights to access and utilize peyote for their religious practices, often at the risk of legal repercussions.
In 1957, Amada and Claudio Cardenas were appointed as delegates-at-large for the Native American Church of North America, followed by Amada’s appointment as an officer of the Native American Church of the United States in 1987. Today, her home, which has welcomed thousands over the decades, is adorned with family photographs and tokens of appreciation from the peyote community. The bedroom dressers are filled with handwritten letters from Native supporters expressing gratitude for her hospitality and seeking her blessings.
Cristala Allen, a Caddo individual who visited Cardenas frequently in the 1990s, recalls her profound aura. “The love was palpable every time I visited,” Allen remarked. “She lived in a humble house but welcomed everyone. It’s a feeling you can sense when you’re on that land.” Allen considers Cardenas a central figure within the Native American Church. “Amada lived where the medicine flourished, connecting deeply with it.”
Sandor Iron Rope, an Oglala Lakota spiritual leader and president of the Native American Church of South Dakota, reflected on Cardenas’s embodiment of fundamental values like “love, faith, hope, and charity.” According to Iron Rope, her ultimate desire was for unity among people and accessibility to peyote for all, promoting healing through the sacred plant.
Sky Groove, who maintains the property, first became acquainted with the area in the 1990s and learned traditional Spanish peyote songs from Cardenas. One song, “Manana, manana, venga la manana,” meaning “the morning comes,” remains in his repertoire. “She was profoundly spiritual,” Groove shared. “Her lifelong connection with the medicine embodies a magic that’s hard to articulate; it’s often referred to as the peyote spirit, and Amada truly understood that essence.”
