Papal Bulls
Papal Bulls created the foundation for the Doctrine of Discovery.
Repudiations
Repuidations of the Doctrine of Discovery by religious organizations and faith communities
Recent posts
The religious underpinnings of one of America’s most sacred concepts, private property Permalink
Read Steve Kelly’s analysis of how Christian Discovery doctrine shaped U.S. property law, anti-Indian law, and modern settler-colonial legal frameworks.
The Doctrine of Discovery: A 500-year-old colonial idea that still affects Canada’s treatment of Indigenous peoples Permalink
Why is it important? The Doctrine of Discovery is still an important legal concept in Canada today even though it was written hundreds of years ago. Both Fre...
Lies of Discovery Permalink
In 2016 the Vatican, recognizing the need to understand Indigenous religious protocols, invited Indigenous spiritual leaders from around the world to Rome. O...
The theft of the commons Permalink
In North America, it’s often assumed that private land ownership not only existed in colonizing cultures but was also universally accepted. Yet English commo...
Property Law, Settler-Colonialism, and the Vatican Permalink
Newsflash! Property law in the U.S. is not rooted in the Constitution. America’s legal foundation for property law (possession), “anti-Indian law” and the co...
Dismantling ‘kind’ colonialism Permalink
“Kind colonialism” operates on the false idea that colonisation is necessary, beneficial, and inevitable. The reason it became the dominant form of colonisat...
New Book: In The Court of the Conqueror
ANNOUNCEMENT Artists’ Book Release Details - In the Court of the Conqueror featuring Patty Ortiz with George Emilio Sanchez - Curator & Editor, Cydney Pa...
Annoucing a New Translation of Inter Caetera Permalink
Translation differences between this new translation and Davenport’s occur more often in tone than in content. Of the latter, the most important is probably ...
‘Unspoken Conspiracy’ - Living within the Resonance of the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
this thesis analyze the perceptions of the Doctrine of Discovery, a religious principle incorporated into law during the Age of Discovery among people within...
S04E06: Unveiling Histories: Colonialism, Faith, and Identity in the Americas with João Chaves Permalink
State of Washington v. Wallahee overturned Permalink
“Our nation’s history is rife with such injustices. It is no victory to sanitize the past, but there is a difference between erasing history and redressing h...
Podcast🎙️ Stealing Land in the Name of God Permalink
What’s a 15th-century statement from a pope have to do with U.S. land policy today?
Sandy Bigtree & Philip Arnold - The Religious Origins of White Supremacy Permalink
Sandy Bigtree & Philip Arnold - The Religious Origins of White Supremacy Today’s discussion is one of profound importance, and I am honored to speak with...
Indigenous Sacredness, Christendom and the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
The conversation I am much more interested in, and that I feel is important to have – is an open, and frank conversation about the role Christianity has play...
S04E05: Rekindling Culture and Healing History: A Dialogue on Decolonization and Indigenous Land Connection Permalink
S. Lily Mendoza and Jim Perkinson unpack white supremacy, decolonial praxis, and Indigenous resurgence. It points readers to the Outcome archive for context.