The Doctrine Of Christian Discovery And Domination, Colonizing Indigenous Peoples, And The State Of Maine

Oct. 15: The Doctrine Of Christian Discovery And Domination, Colonizing Indigenous Peoples, And The State Of Maine

• John Dieffenbacher-Krall, Chair of the Episcopal Committee on Indian Relations and former Executive Director of Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission

• Chelsea Fairbank, PhD Candidate in Anthropology & Environmental Policy

• Darren Ranco, Chair of Native American Programs and Associate Professor of Anthropology

The Doctrine of Christian Discovery and Domination comprises a worldview and promotes the legal and moral authority justifying the invasion and conquest of non-Christian lands. Historically, this Doctrine’s legal and moral authority derive from papal bulls, edicts and declarations, from the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and the later use by Western Christendom’s secular leaders to reference the Doctrine to authorize their voyages of “discovery” into the New World. This Doctrine of Discovery forms the foundation of Federal Indian Law and the most important U.S. Supreme Court case affecting the Original Nations and Peoples of this land. The University of Maine exists on occupied Penobscot Indian Nation land legally justified via the Doctrine. Panelists will develop this program by presenting information on “Settler Colonialism, the Doctrine of Discovery, Capitalism, and Extractivism,” and on “the Doctrine of Discovery and the State of Maine.”

Anyone interested in viewing The Doctrine of Christian Discovery and Domination, Colonizing

Indigenous Peoples, and the State of Maine held on 10/15 can do so two ways. You can access the link to the video and audio here. It is also posted under the program on the Socialist and Marxist Studies Series website, now under “recent programs” and immediately below the Doctrine of Christian Discovery and Domination, Colonizing Indigenous Peoples, and the State of Maine title.