Navajo Nation ID Cards & Peyote

Just wanted to post a concern that I have with the radio announcement that is currently being played on KTNN. President Ben Shelly has been going on the radio announcing the production and sale of a Navajo Nation Identification Card to members of the Navajo Nation. It may be good for entrance into Canada and Maybe Mexico, replacing CIB and other means of identification cards. However, the problem that the Board of Directors and the Executive Officers of ABNDA is the notion of it being used to transporting or importing peyote from Mexico into the United States. I believe this is a very dangerous assumption that is being made. The use, possession and transporting of peyote is illegal in the country of Mexico. and is punishable by a prison term of up to 10 years. Some of the Mexican citizens have been caught with peyote and they have been sent to prison. The Native American Church of Navajoland also experienced a similar incident several years ago when members of our organization went to Mexico and got some peyote, but when they were coming back into the United States they got caught with the peyote and were incarcerated. It took our Officers awhile to get them out. There was another incident within the last few years where a non-native individual was caught and sent to prison. Thus, this is a very dangerous notion that is being planted in the minds of our members and with the high cost of peyote in Texas ($400/1,000 for dry buttons and $350/1,000 for fresh peyote) it is very attempting to go into Mexico to get peyote.
We are currently exploring the possibility of importing peyote from Mexico into the United States. The United States Department of Justice has made it known to us that under the North American Free Trades Agreement (NAFTA) anything that is illegal cannot be acquired between the three countries. With peyote being illegal in Mexico, it cannot be taken across the border from Mexico. We (Native American Church organizations) are currently meeting with certain individuals and organizations to make this happen by having peyote become legal in Mexico.
It will take awhile before this happens, so in the mean time members should not go to Mexico to acquire peyote because it is too dangerous. I assume President Shelly is trying to help our members, but there are surrounding issues that his staff members did not explore and they did not communicate with us on the issues. I went over the radio and explained the misunderstanding. I tried to get a free spot stating that is was a correction to an announcement and that I should not have to pay. However, I did not win the agreement and ABNDN had to pay $520 to make the correction. One other thing that must be understood as the radio announcement also alluded to the issue of using the card to go to Texas to get peyote. It is very important for members to have hauling permit and their member cards to go to Texas to get peyote. Would like to hear your thoughts on this issue. Thanks