The Story Behind the Story Permalink
Steven T. Newcomb recalls meeting Oglala Lakota educator Birgil Kills Straight in March 1992, and how the two began their call for the Pope to revoke the papal bull Inter Caetera of May 4, 1493.
Posts by Year
2026
JCRT Publishes The Second of Two Special Issues from the 2023 Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery Conference
JCRT publishes the second of two special issues from the 2023 Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery Conference, with scholarship on history, law, and justice.
JCRT Publishes First of Two Special Issues from the 2023 Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery Conference
JCRT publishes the first of two special issues from the 2023 Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery Conference, with scholarship on history, law, and justice.
The Declaration of Independence: “Merciless Indian Savages”…and More
Robert J. Miller examines how disputes over Indigenous lands and the Doctrine of Discovery shaped grievances in the Declaration of Independence.
Destroying the Doctrine of Discovery
Robert J. Miller examines the Doctrine of Discovery’s continuing effects and outlines five strategies for dismantling its influence on Indigenous rights.
The Domination Translator Series: An Extended Essay on Various U.S. Supreme Court Rulings and Other Topics - Part 1
How did the U.S. justify ‘ultimate dominion’ over Native nations and lands? This series examines the Doctrine of Discovery in Supreme Court rulings.
Fletcher v. Peck (1810) - Domination Translator Series - Part 2
The Fletcher v. Peck case examined whether the U.S. courts would recognize Indian title to land, and how colonial charters justified domination.
The Haudenosaunee Cases: Cayuga Indian Nation v. Pataki (2nd Cir. June 28, 2005) - Domination Translator Series - Part 11
Cayuga Nation v. Pataki (2005) explored Haudenosaunee land claims and the suppressed 1922 Everett Report on Native treaty rights.
The Haudenosaunee Cases: Oneida Indian Nation v. County of Oneida (Aug. 9th 2010) - Domination Translator Series - Part 12
Oneida Indian Nation v. County of Oneida (2010) examined equitable defenses used to bar Native land claims spanning centuries.
The Haudenosaunee Cases: Onondaga Nation v. N.Y. (Argued Oct. 12, 2012, decided October 19, 2012) - Domination Translator Series - Part 13
Onondaga Nation’s lawsuit to recover ancestral lands was dismissed using federal Indian law doctrines based on discovery and domination.
U.S. v. King Mountain Tobacco Co., Inc. (9th Cir. Court, August 13, 2012) - Domination Translator Series - Part 15
U.S. v. King Mountain Tobacco (2012) asserted federal excise tax authority over Yakama Nation based on plenary power doctrine.
The Marshall Trilogy: Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) - Domination Translator Series - Part 4
In 1831, the Cherokee Nation sought Supreme Court protection from Georgia’s laws designed to annihilate their political existence.
The Marshall Trilogy: Johnson v. McIntosh, 21 U.S. (8 Wheat.) 543 (1823) - Domination Translator Series - Part 3
The 1823 landmark Johnson v. McIntosh case established the Doctrine of Discovery as U.S. law, denying Native nations’ property rights.
The Marshall Trilogy: Worcester v. Georgia (1832) - Domination Translator Series - Part 5
The 1832 Worcester v. Georgia ruling protected Native nations from state laws, yet affirmed federal domination under the Doctrine of Discovery.
Martin v. Waddell (1842) - Domination Translator Series - Part 7
Martin v. Waddell (1842) applied the Doctrine of Discovery to oyster beds, asserting European discovery gave absolute property rights.
McGirt v. Oklahoma (U.S. Supreme Court, July 2020) - Domination Translator Series - Part 14
McGirt v. Oklahoma (2020) upheld Creek Nation jurisdiction while affirming federal plenary power based on the Doctrine of Discovery.
President “Teddy” Roosevelt’s Monroe Doctrine Corollary - Domination Translator Series - Part 8
Teddy Roosevelt’s 1904 Monroe Doctrine Corollary asserted U.S. imperial dominion over the Western Hemisphere and its indigenous peoples.
Tee Hit Ton Indians v. United States (1955) - Domination Translator Series - Part 9
Tee Hit Ton v. U.S. (1955) denied Native peoples compensation for lands taken by the U.S. government under the Doctrine of Discovery.
The Monroe Doctrine (1823) - Domination Translator Series - Part 6
The Monroe Doctrine (1823) extended U.S. claims of ‘ultimate dominion’ over the Western Hemisphere, following the Doctrine of Discovery.
White v. University of California (9th Cir., 2014) - Domination Translator Series - Part 10
UC professors attempted to prevent repatriation of Kumeyaay Nation ancestral remains, invoking tribal sovereignty immunity doctrines.
PRESS RELEASE: Launch of The Domination Translator Series - A Comprehensive Analysis of U.S. Supreme Court Rulings and the Doctrine of Discovery
The Doctrine of Discovery Initiative announces the launch of a 15-part extended essay examining how the Doctrine of Discovery has shaped U.S. legal history t...
A Right of Discovery? Permalink
Steven T. Newcomb traces Chief Justice Marshall’s “right of discovery” in Johnson v. McIntosh back to the 1496 Letters Patent to John Cabot and its command to subjugate, occupy, and possess.
Doctrine of Discovery Resources Permalink
Doctrine of Discovery Resources and Bibliography
Domination Chronicles: 2026 - The Year Ahead Permalink
A New Year’s conversation on domination, free existence, law, language, technology, and the questions shaping the work ahead.
Domination Chronicles: The Federal Indian Boarding School Report Permalink
Steve Newcomb and Peter d’Errico discuss the Federal Indian Boarding School Report, apology, assimilation, and ongoing domination.
Domination Chronicles: A Domination Chronicles Lexicon Permalink
Steven Newcomb examines key terms including civilization, state, sovereignty, ascendancy, dominion, property, and empire.
Domination Chronicles: Stolen Land and the Danger of Performative Speech Permalink
Peter d’Errico and Steven Newcomb explore stolen land, performative speech, legal precedent, and the right of domination.
Domination Chronicles: Colonists, Settlers, Invaders, Expansionists, Immigrants Permalink
Peter d’Errico and Steven Newcomb critique language around the Indian Removal Act, settlement, immigration, liberty, and domination.
Domination Chronicles: Bruce McIvor on Legalized Lawlessness Permalink
Bruce McIvor joins Newcomb and d’Errico to discuss Canadian law, reconciliation, the Doctrine of Discovery, and ongoing colonization.
Domination Chronicles: Mark Savage on Natural Rights and Unravelling the Questions Permalink
Attorney Mark Savage joins Domination Chronicles to revisit plenary power, original free existence, treaties, and systemic litigation.
Domination Chronicles: Loretta Afraid of Bear-Cook on Living in Oglala Lakota Community Permalink
Loretta Afraid of Bear-Cook joins Newcomb and d’Errico to discuss Oglala Lakota community, language, traditions, and resistance to domination.
Domination Chronicles: Untrustworthy Trust - Domination, Fear, and Fearlessness Permalink
Newcomb and d’Errico examine the federal Indian law trust doctrine as a euphemism for domination rather than a protective obligation.
Domination Chronicles: Tribal Sovereignty 101 Permalink
Steve Newcomb and Peter d’Errico unpack tribal sovereignty, limited sovereignty, federal anti-Indian law, and the language trap of domination.
Domination Chronicles: Where Are We Now? Permalink
Steven Newcomb and Peter d’Errico ask why domination must be treated as the beginning of serious inquiry, not the end of the conversation.
An Upcoming Fifty-Year Retrospective (1977-2027) Permalink
In 1977, forty-eight years ago, the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) submitted an intervention (a formal document) to the International NGO Conference On Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations. The conference convened in Geneva, Switzerland from September 20-23rd at the Palais des Nations, the United Nations Office at Geneva.
A Comment On NARF’s Amicus Curiae Brief Filed on Behalf of the National Congress of American Indians and the Inter Tribal Association of Arizona, LLC, in Support of the Tohono O’odham Nation Permalink
Steven T. Newcomb examines the contradictions in the Native American Rights Fund’s amicus brief opposing construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall on the Tohono O’odham Reservation.
The Domination Translator Series - Complete Index Permalink
A comprehensive 15 part extended essay by Steven T. Newcomb examining how the Doctrine of Discovery has shaped U.S. Supreme Court rulings and American law.
The Domination Translator Series: An Extended Essay on Various U.S. Supreme Court Rulings and Other Topics - Part 1 Permalink
How did the U.S. justify ‘ultimate dominion’ over Native nations and lands? This series examines the Doctrine of Discovery in Supreme Court rulings. Outcome.
Fletcher v. Peck (1810) - Domination Translator Series - Part 2 Permalink
The Fletcher v. Peck case examined whether the U.S. courts would recognize Indian title to land, and how colonial charters justified domination. Outcome.
The Marshall Trilogy: Johnson v. McIntosh, 21 U.S. (8 Wheat.) 543 (1823) - Domination Translator Series - Part 3 Permalink
The 1823 landmark Johnson v. McIntosh case established the Doctrine of Discovery as U.S. law, denying Native nations’ property rights. Outcome archive context.
The Marshall Trilogy: Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) - Domination Translator Series - Part 4 Permalink
In 1831, the Cherokee Nation sought Supreme Court protection from Georgia’s laws designed to annihilate their political existence. Outcome archive context.
The Marshall Trilogy: Worcester v. Georgia (1832) - Domination Translator Series - Part 5 Permalink
The 1832 Worcester v. Georgia ruling protected Native nations from state laws, yet affirmed federal domination under the Doctrine of Discovery. Outcome.
The Monroe Doctrine (1823) - Domination Translator Series - Part 6 Permalink
The Monroe Doctrine (1823) extended U.S. claims of ‘ultimate dominion’ over the Western Hemisphere, following the Doctrine of Discovery. Outcome archive.
Martin v. Waddell (1842) - Domination Translator Series - Part 7 Permalink
Martin v. Waddell (1842) applied the Doctrine of Discovery to oyster beds, asserting European discovery gave absolute property rights. Outcome archive context.
President ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt’s Monroe Doctrine Corollary - Domination Translator Series - Part 8 Permalink
Teddy Roosevelt’s 1904 Monroe Doctrine Corollary asserted U.S. imperial dominion over the Western Hemisphere and its indigenous peoples. Outcome archive.
Tee Hit Ton Indians v. United States (1955) - Domination Translator Series - Part 9 Permalink
Tee Hit Ton v. U.S. (1955) denied Native peoples compensation for lands taken by the U.S. government under the Doctrine of Discovery. Outcome archive context.
White v. University of California (9th Cir., 2014) - Domination Translator Series - Part 10 Permalink
UC professors attempted to prevent repatriation of Kumeyaay Nation ancestral remains, invoking tribal sovereignty immunity doctrines. Outcome archive context.
The Haudenosaunee Cases: Cayuga Indian Nation v. Pataki (2nd Cir. June 28, 2005) - Domination Translator Series - Part 11 Permalink
Cayuga Nation v. Pataki (2005) explored Haudenosaunee land claims and the suppressed 1922 Everett Report on Native treaty rights. Outcome archive context.
The Haudenosaunee Cases: Oneida Indian Nation v. County of Oneida (Aug. 9th 2010) - Domination Translator Series - Part 12 Permalink
Oneida Indian Nation v. County of Oneida (2010) examined equitable defenses used to bar Native land claims spanning centuries. Outcome archive context.
The Haudenosaunee Cases: Onondaga Nation v. N.Y. (Argued Oct. 12, 2012, decided October 19, 2012) - Domination Translator Series - Part 13 Permalink
Onondaga Nation’s lawsuit to recover ancestral lands was dismissed using federal Indian law doctrines based on discovery and domination. Outcome archive.
McGirt v. Oklahoma (U.S. Supreme Court, July 2020) - Domination Translator Series - Part 14 Permalink
McGirt v. Oklahoma (2020) upheld Creek Nation jurisdiction while affirming federal plenary power based on the Doctrine of Discovery. Outcome archive context.
U.S. v. King Mountain Tobacco Co., Inc. (9th Cir. Court, August 13, 2012) - Domination Translator Series - Part 15 Permalink
U.S. v. King Mountain Tobacco (2012) asserted federal excise tax authority over Yakama Nation based on plenary power doctrine. Outcome archive context.
Vol. 24 No. 2 (Winter 2026): Challenging the Justifications of Domination Through Religion Permalink
Part 1: We Were Planting Corn and They Were Planting Crosses This entry connects Doctrine of Discovery scholarship, Indigenous sovereignty, law, religion.
Silencing the Doctrine of Discovery – The Brazilian Process: Accidental Discoveries, Secret Manuscripts, Imaginary Lines and Myths Permalink
Alencar traces how the Doctrine of Discovery shaped Brazil through church backed silence, racial myths, and colonial violence, urging decolonial accountability.
Deconstructing the Erie Canal: Three Lessons for its Next Century Permalink
In this bicentennial reflection on the Erie Canal, Renee Barry examines how celebratory public histories mask the canal’s foundation in settler colonial.
Unselling the Classroom: Confronting History and Ourselves Permalink
Berlin urges teachers to confront settler colonialism and white supremacy by centering Indigenous history critical pedagogy, and accountability today.
The Medieval Origins of Religious White Supremacy: English Imperialism, Crusade Defeats, and the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
Callan traces how medieval English myths, crusade defeat, and Irish colonization shaped Christian white supremacy and fed the global Doctrine of Discovery.
Expecting Excellence in Education: When Content Conditions Class Consciousness Permalink
Chaness links white supremacy, settler colonialism, and anti Indian racism, showing how Indigenous values and pedagogy reshape critical classroom practice.
The Chosen People at Grouse Mountain Permalink
Felese challenges conquest based land values and shows Indigenous relational worldviews offer life affirming alternatives to extraction and alienation
Flesh of Words: Confrontation, Navigation, and Integrity in the English Classroom Permalink
Hurtado uses Critical Race Theory and Latina feminisms to show how multiethnic curricula can confront colonial legacies and teach resistance in class.
Introduction Permalink
Introduction to a global volume on Christian Discovery, linking law, religion, and pedagogy, with Indigenous sovereignty and decolonial justice today.
Dismantling White Supremacy in the Classroom and Beyond Permalink
Jimenez shows criminal justice education must confront white supremacy by centering race, power and oppression to transform teaching and policies now.
Other Forms of Dwelling: A Dalit – Feminist Perspective Permalink
Lakshmi frames Dalit feminist values alongside Indigenous frameworks to show alternative forms of dwelling, relation, and resistance beyond colonial modernity.
Charting the Doctrine in the Colonial Archive: Papal Bulls and the Translation of the ‘Discovery’ Purpose Permalink
Modrow shows how papal bulls transformed crusade theology into global colonial strategy, legitimizing Indigenous dispossession and imperial expansion.
“Engineering Marvel”: Towards Resisting the Affective Politics of Erie Canal Heritage Permalink
Nagle critiques Erie Canal heritage marketing, showing how engineered marvel obscures Haudenosaunee dispossession and calls settlers to affective resistance.
Using the Doctrine of Discovery to Increase Shared Language and Conceptual Frameworks Between Black and Indigenous Feminist Organizing Permalink
Nahar argues Doctrine of Discovery can build shared language between Black and Indigenous feminisms, strengthening solidarity against settler colonial power.
A Preface to Challenging the Justifications of Domination Through Religion: “We Were Planting Corn, and They Were Planting Crosses” Permalink
Preface to a special issue examining Christian Discovery’s role in white supremacy, law, and education, with decolonial paths grounded in Indigenous justice.
Schools, Teachers, and Teacher Educators: Education Through the Disruption of White Supremacy Permalink
Radhakrishnan examines how U.S. schooling reproduces white supremacy and identifies teacher education strategies to disrupt curriculum, instruction, and policy.
Hindu Political Theology: Beyond Hindutva’s Political Monotheism Permalink
Somayajula reads Hindutva as political theology, showing how Hindu nationalism flattens religious diversity and urging a more inclusive Hindu identity.
Baltic Religion: The Sacred Things Permalink
Trinkauskaite explores Baltic sacred traditions and sutartinės, linking domestic deities and revivalist practice to collective ethics beyond hierarchy.
Christian Control of Women and Mother Earth: The Doctrine of Discovery and the Doctrine of Male Domination Permalink
Wagner links church patriarchy and the Doctrine of Discovery to colonial violence, calling for Indigenous rematriation to restore women and the Earth.
Vol. 25 No. 1 (Spring 2026): Challenging the Justifications of Domination through Law: Indigenous Resistance and the Undoing of Christian Empire Permalink
Part 2: Indigenous Resistance and the Undoing of Christian Empire This entry connects Doctrine of Discovery scholarship, Indigenous sovereignty, law…
Conclusion: Dismantling the Doctrine of Christian Discovery Cultivating Right Relations Permalink
The conclusion calls for decolonization beyond legal reform, centering Indigenous law, land return, and right relations to resist Christian Discovery.
Federal Anti-indian Law: Why a Challenge to “Christian Discovery” Creates a Metaphysical Crisis for the US Permalink
Peter d’Errico argues that U.S. anti Indian law rests on Christian Discovery, and that challenging it exposes a metaphysical crisis in U.S. law today.
Right & Respectful Relations: A Memoir of the Road to the Historic Yakama Nation Amicus Brief Challenging ‘Christian Discovery’ in Washington State V. Cougar Den Permalink
Jode Goudy recounts how the Yakama Nation built a historic amicus brief, connecting treaty rights, sovereignty, and opposition to Christian Discovery.
The Doctrine of Christian Discovery and Domination: How It Has Been Used by United States Courts to Deny Treaty Rights & Dismiss the Haudenosaunee Land Rights Cases Permalink
Joseph J. Heath shows how U.S. courts use Christian Discovery to deny Haudenosaunee treaty and land rights, and calls for its repudiation in U.S. law.
The International Law of Colonialism: The Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
Robert J. Miller traces how the Doctrine of Discovery became international law, enabling colonial claims over Indigenous land, rights and sovereignty.
My Decades-long Inquiry Into the Doctrine of Christian Discovery and Domination Permalink
Steven Newcomb reflects on decades studying Christian Discovery, showing how law and language normalized domination over Native nations for centuries.
A Postscript: Sovereignty is Still the Issue Permalink
This postscript argues Indigenous nations need full sovereignty, rejecting settler carve outs and urging a healing return to precolonial lifeways now.
An Intergenerational and Perpetual Imperium of Domination and Subjugation of Indigenous Peoples: The Doctrine of Christian Discovery and Royal Supremacy Permalink
Phillip Rodgers Falk argues that native title and colonial sovereignty preserve Indigenous subordination through terra nullius and racial hierarchies.
An Appeal to the American People—Overturning “Federal Indian Law” Permalink
Steven J. Schwartzberg urges Americans to overturn Federal Indian Law by confronting the colonial assumptions that still shape U.S. jurisprudence now.
S06E04: Washington Said Burn The Corn and New Yorkers Brought Surveyors Permalink
Travis Bowman and Matthew Zembo trace New York’s 1779 campaigns and the deliberate dispossession of Haudenosaunee — scorched-corn tactics, falsified intelligence, and land grabs used to clear Iroquoia for settlement.
S6E03: How Rethinking God, Gender, And Nature Can Heal A Burning World Permalink
With Kim Carfore we trace how dominionist readings of Genesis 1:28 fueled the Doctrine of Discovery witch burnings and modern domination systems then pull forward correctives from multiple wells Haudenosaunee wisdom.
S06E05: The Sloan Lecture - The Oneidas, the Best Land, and the Erie Canal - By Susan Brewer Permalink
Susan Brewer traces the history of the ‘best land’ in Madison County and the dispossession of the Oneida Nation during the construction of the Erie Canal.
S06E06: Sacred Waters: Trauma of the Erie Canal Permalink
Jake Haiwhagai’i Edwards and Philip P. Arnold discuss how the Erie Canal’s construction disrupted Haudenosaunee watersheds and produced lasting environmental and cultural trauma.
New Episode: Matthew Boedy on the Seven Mountains Mandate and the Threat to Democracy Permalink
In our latest podcast episode, author Matthew Boedy exposes how the Seven Mountains Mandate and Turning Point USA are actively reshaping American politics through Christian nationalism.
S06E08: Remembering The Teacher: Charles H. Long (Part 1) Permalink
Davíd Carrasco and Raymond Carr honor Charles H. Long through memory, archival discovery, and stories that reveal his enduring scholarly and personal legacy.
S06E09: The Legacy of Charles H. Long Part 2: How & Why White Supremacy Persists Permalink
A conversation on Charles H. Long, the Doctrine of Discovery, whiteness, Indigenous resurgence, womanist critique, and new ways to imagine the human.
S06E10: How Colonial Law Shaped Modern Data Extraction Permalink
Jordan Loewen-Colon traces how colonial property law survives in AI systems, data extraction, platform consent, and Indigenous data sovereignty.
S06E11: What Changes When Earth Is Your Mother Permalink
Haudenosaunee teachings connect ceremony, matrilineal leadership, the Thanksgiving Address, and a living relationship with Mother Earth.
S06E12: How the Revolutionary War Reshaped Haudenosaunee Governance Permalink
Tom Porter discusses how colonization and the Revolutionary War reshaped Mohawk and Haudenosaunee leadership, identity, and survival.
S6E02: A Theologian Confronts the Doctrine of Discovery and Calls for Institutional Repair Permalink
Jeannine Hill Fletcher exposes white Christian power and the tactics that cut Indigenous matrilineal ties to steal land
A Comment on Making All the World America
Peter d’Errico comments on Timothy Bowers Vasko’s Making All the World America: Native Information and the Doctrine of Discovery (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2026), in conversation with Steven T. Newcomb’s review.
Book Review of Making All the World America
Steven T. Newcomb reviews Timothy Bowers Vasko’s Making All the World America: Native Information and the Doctrine of Discovery (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2026).
2025
Gomeroi Native Title - Living in the Shadow of Terra Nullius Part 01
This article is presented as a two-part series examining the structural limitations of Australia’s native title system and its entanglement with colonial legal authority, extractive capitalism, and the denial of Indigenous sovereignty.
Gomeroi Native Title - Living in the Shadow of Terra Nullius Part 02
This article is presented as a two-part series examining the structural limitations of Australia’s native title system and its entanglement with colonial legal authority, extractive capitalism, and the denial of Indigenous sovereignty.
The Bankruptcy of the Category of Religion: A Decolonizing Approach Permalink
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Comments Delivered to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Permalink
Comments delivered as part of the “Virtual Consultation on Legal Framework: Indigenous Peoples and the Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief,” held June 22,...
Editorial Address & Advisory Board Permalink
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Intellectual Acknowledgement in Favour of Religious Freedom and Justice: Comparative History of Religions and Ideas as Methodology for Education Permalink
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Interim Report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Permalink
In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Ahmed Shaheed, initiates a critical conversation within the United Nations sy...
Indigenous Values Initiative Together with the American Indian Law Alliance Submits this Report: The Territorial Integrity of Mother Earth, Indigenous Peoples, and the Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief Permalink
The present report is the input provided by the Indigenous Values Initiative (IVI) and American Indian Law Alliance (AILA) in response to the new report draf...
Learning From Reflection and Looking to the Future Permalink
Two Years on from the UN Report on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Indigenous Peoples
On the Limits of the Concept of Religious Freedom in Indigenous Communities Permalink
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Preface and Introduction: From Indigenous Religions to Indigenous Values Vol. 5 No. 2 Permalink
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Remarks on the Freedom of Religion or Belief Report Permalink
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Book Review of The Urgency of Indigenous Values Permalink
What is a way forward in the midst of the environmental and ecological crisis? How does religious studies engage with Indigenous Peoples? Philip P. Arnold explores these two different but interrelated questions in The Urgency of Indigenous Values, which offers an alternative perspective on religion that shifts away from a settler-colonial worldview to better affirm Indigenous values.
Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery: A Wakaga Sovereignty Series Permalink
Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery: A Wakaga Sovereignty Series is a multi-article initiative by the Wakaga Economic Development Group examining how the centuries-old Doctrine of Christian Discovery still shapes federal Indian law and impacts tribal sovereignty today. Drawing on the research of Steven T. Newcomb, this 100+ article series explores the doctrine’s colonial origins, its influence on landmark Supreme Court decisions, and its continuing effect on U.S. Indian policy and Wakaga governance. Designed as a resource for tribal members, educators, policymakers, youth, and allies, the series combines historical analysis with practical insights to challenge the legacy of domination embedded in U.S. law and foster informed action toward true sovereignty.
Domination Chronicles: Trailer Permalink
Steven Newcomb and Peter d’Errico introduce Domination Chronicles, a podcast focused on domination, discovery, law, language, and Indigenous free existence.
Domination Chronicles: Our Opening Conversation Permalink
Steven Newcomb and Peter d’Errico begin a decades-long dialogue on domination, Johnson v. McIntosh, Christian discovery, and federal Indian law.
Domination Chronicles: Say Something, See Something Permalink
Steve Newcomb and Peter d’Errico examine Halverson v. Burgum and the way Johnson v. McIntosh continues to appear inside modern federal Indian law.
Domination Chronicles: Symbols, Enigmas, Curiosity Permalink
Steven Newcomb and Peter d’Errico explore how symbols, monuments, seals, and public images participate in creating and preserving domination realities.
Domination Chronicles: Seeing Through To The Emperor’s Extravagant Pretension Permalink
A Washington Supreme Court concurrence criticizes racist language in federal Indian law while leaving deeper doctrines of domination in place.
Domination Chronicles: The Future of Indians Permalink
Steven Newcomb and Peter d’Errico connect Vine Deloria Jr., eminent domain, and contemporary legal scholarship to questions of Native free existence.
Domination Chronicles: Supreme Court Justices Attack Plenary Power over Native Peoples Permalink
Steve Newcomb and Peter d’Errico discuss a Supreme Court dissent that challenges plenary power and opens questions about federal domination over Native nations.
Domination Chronicles: A Quantum View of Free Existence as Entangled Indeterminacy Permalink
Steve Newcomb and Peter d’Errico use quantum theory to rethink free existence, time, domination, and the assumptions behind colonial legal order.
Domination Chronicles: Words and Meanings Permalink
Newcomb and d’Errico examine how everyday words conceal domination and how careful language work can expose federal Indian law’s foundations.
Domination Chronicles: McGirt v. Oklahoma - Revealing and Concealing Domination Permalink
Steve Newcomb and Peter d’Errico analyze McGirt v. Oklahoma as a decision that both reveals and conceals U.S. domination in federal Indian law.
Domination Chronicles: Pulp Legal Fiction - Tee-Hit-Ton v. United States Permalink
Domination Chronicles examines Tee-Hit-Ton v. United States and the doctrine of Christian discovery as legal fiction serving racial segregation and land theft.
The Doctrine of Discovery: Unmasking the Domination Code; with Live Q & A Permalink
Join us for a deep dive into The Doctrine of Discovery film and uncover the hidden truths behind the Domination Code in our live Q&A session
The Haudenosaunee and the Erie Canal Permalink
In his address during the Erie Canal Centennial Celebration in 1926, Dr. John H. Finley remarked that the Canal’s economic benefits, though immense, were out...
Examining the Doctrine of Discovery in Religion and Indigenous Studies Permalink
Since the publication of Pagans in the Promised Land by Steven T. Newcomb (Shawnee/Lenape), scholarship on the Doctrine of Discovery has expanded significantly as a central issue in Indigenous law and politics. However, its implications remain underexamined in Religious Studies, Indigenous Studies, and legal scholarship. This article analyzes the matrix of enslavement, exploitation, and extraction that Newcomb identifies within settler-colonial systems and examines how scholars in Religious Studies, Legal Studies, and Indigenous Studies have engaged with the Doctrine of Discovery. Situating the Doctrine of Discovery within the broader analytical frameworks of enslavement, systemic violence, and religious imperialism reveals its deep entanglement with historic and legal structures of oppression. Examining its intersections with Religious Studies and postcolonial scholarship uncover how white Christian hegemony maintains its dominion and exposes the fragility of any perceived boundary between church and state.
Flying T Ranch v. Stillaguamish Tribe Permalink
A Washington Supreme Court case used by Domination Chronicles to examine the limits of criticizing racist legal language while preserving domination doctrine.
Haaland v. Brackeen and the Logic of Discovery Permalink
The ICWA was enacted to protect Indigenous sovereignty, but the Brackeens argued that its preference to Native American families in the fostering and adoption of Native American children amounts to racial discrimination, an argument the court did not substantively address because it judged the Brackeens lacked standing.
Cutting Through the US Claim of a Right of Domination over Indigenous People: An Analysis of Haaland v. Brackeen Permalink
Haaland v. Brackeen is a 2023 US Supreme Court decision rejecting several challenges to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), a federal law establishing a framework to control adoptions of any child who is “a member of an Indian tribe” or who is “eligible for membership in an Indian tribe and is the biological child of a member of an Indian tribe.”
Halverson v. Burgum Permalink
A 2025 Ninth Circuit decision that shows how Johnson v. McIntosh and sovereign immunity remain active in contemporary federal Indian law.
Joint Statement to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
Nine Years Ago Today, on May 4th, 2016, We Met Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square, and Archbishop Silvano Tomasi at the Pontifical Council For Justice and Peace
Onondaga Land Rights and Our Common Future:The Quest for Justice Permalink
Onondaga Land Rights and Our Common Future:The Quest for Justice Details - Monday, March 10, 6:30 pm - Syracuse Stage, 820 E Genesee St, Syracuse
Healing the Sacred: The Fight to Restore Onondaga Lake and Honor Indigenous Land Permalink
The Onondaga Nation is petitioning the Organization of American States (OAS) for land rights to Onondaga Lake, a notoriously polluted body of water in Central New York State. The Onondaga Nation is one of six nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (Iroquois), and Onondaga Lake is the sacred site where Gayanashagowa, the Great Law of Peace, was established.
200 Years of Johnson v. M’Intosh (JVM): Indigenous Responses to the Religious Foundations of Racism Permalink
In 2022 Syracuse University received a Henry Luce Foundation grant to support the work of Philip P. Arnold and the Indigenous Values Initiative’s Doctrine.
Before Religion Permalink
It is a classic misinterpretation to refer to all Natives as always being in harmony with themselves and their surroundings. As in, categorizing. Outcome.
Book Notes: New Books in the Study of Domination Permalink
Brett and Hill review several books, including The Urgency of Indigenous Values by Philip P. Arnold It points readers to the Outcome archive for context.
The Challenges of Revoking the Papal Bulls: A View-from-the-Shore Analysis of Recent Statements by Christian Churches Permalink
Let us set the context for this discussion. The context begins with the free existence of our Native nations and peoples, extending back to the beginning of.
Comments on the Bishop’s Panel: Transcription of Conference Presentation Permalink
Greetings to you all. I’m Haiwhagai’i, Onondaga Nation, Eel Clan. I have to start off with gratitude for seeing all of your faces here. It is a bit awkward.
The Construction of Indigenous Americans and Spanish Conquistadors in Theodore de Bry’s Engravings Permalink
The primary visual sources depicting the treatment of Indigenous peoples by conquerors, particularly the works of Protestant engraver Theodore de Bry, offer.
Contributors Permalink
Contributors This Content This entry connects Doctrine of Discovery scholarship, Indigenous sovereignty, law, religion, and historical accountability.
Cultivating a G.R.A.C.E. Mindset: Adaptive Leadership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Permalink
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America acknowledges and repents for its complicity in the harms of colonialism towards Native American and Alaska Native.
DEAR AUTOCRAT(S) Permalink
We never strived to be your equals Or fought for that sameness of identity There was no reason for uprising Against your anthropocentric prototyped pattern.
Documenting Domination in International Relations Through the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
The American Indian Law Alliance (AILA) was founded in 1989 by Tonya Gonnella Frichner as an Indigenous, non profit organization advocating for sovereignty.
Joint Statement Of The Dicasteries For Culture And Education And For Promoting Integral Human Development On The “Doctrine Of Discovery” Permalink
The Catholic Church strives to promote universal fraternity and respect for the dignity of every human being, condemning acts of violence, oppression, and.
Christian Nationalism in the Lithuanian Context Permalink
The transition of Lithuania from a pagan to a Roman Catholic culture began with Pope Innocent IV’s issuance of Bulls in 1251. Mindaugas, Grand Duke of.
The Religious Origins of White Supremacy and The Doctrine of Christian Discovery Permalink
As we wrap up this volume and grant period we would like to express our deepest gratitude to S.B. Rodriguez Plate and the entire team of CrossCurrents for.
The Roots of Christian Nationalism Go Back Further Than You Think Permalink
The term “white Christian nationalism” has emerged in recent years to describe a worldview that has become central to the contemporary Republican Party…
Routing Out Supremacy’s Religious Roots: From Skin Color Back Through Bible Code to City-State Coercion Permalink
Perkinson discusses the origins of colonialism and white supremacy, tracing it back to the relationship with the land. He explores the shift from pastoral.
Statement on the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
The Episcopal Church’s commitment to justice and equality is challenged by its historical complicity in the Doctrine of Discovery. The Episcopal Diocese of.
Things We Already Knew Before the Prophecy of I Am Permalink
I am the meadow And the tall grasses I am the stone That rolled away I am the water That flows through all life possible I am the tree That shades Outcome.
Table of Contents Permalink
Article Table of Content This entry connects Doctrine of Discovery scholarship, Indigenous sovereignty, law, religion, and historical accountability…
Toward a Kinder Future Permalink
The Church needs to make commitments to undo the damage of instilling white superiority beliefs. Churches worldwide can be part of a campaign to change the.
Travelling Along the River of Life Permalink
Lyons discusses the journey in the Doctrine of Discovery, highlighting his experience presenting at the United Nations in 2001. He focuses on the history of.
An Unholy Wedding: Christianity, Civilizational Supremacy, and the In/visibility of “Race” in Post-colonial Philippines Permalink
An often heard truism among homeland Filipinos in conversations with their diasporic counterparts in the United States is the notion that race and racism.
International Journal on Responsibility Permalink
The International Journal on Responsibility (IJR) (ISSN: 2576 0955) is an international, peer reviewed, interdisciplinary forum for theoretical, practical.
Religious Moral Suasion and Material Support for the Environmental Justice Movement Permalink
The Environmental Justice (EJ) movement in the United States is comprised of diverse groups of people with a variety of environmental grievances and…
S05E06: Rethinking Our Values: Indigenous Values for a Sustainable Future Permalink
Philip Arnold calls for a value shift rooted in Haudenosaunee teachings to ensure collective survival. It points readers to the Outcome archive for context.
S05E07: Indigenous Wisdom for Planetary Healing with Yuria Celidwen Permalink
Dr. Yuria Celidwen shares Indigenous contemplative science and ethics for planetary healing. It points readers to the Outcome archive for context. Outcome.
S05E08: Teaching Uncomfortable History: The Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
Dr. Holly Rine discusses teaching the Doctrine of Discovery inside Jesuit classrooms. This entry connects Doctrine of Discovery scholarship, Indigenous.
Gorsuch and Thomas Attack the US Claim of “Plenary Power” over “Tribes” Permalink
On November 10, 2025, Supreme Court Justices Gorsuch and Thomas teamed up to insist that the doctrine of “plenary power” over Native Peoples is not good law and never has been.
Reflections on the Erie Canal [FULL DOCUMENTARY] Permalink
In 1825, the state of New York completed the Erie Canal. Today, the singular historic purpose of the canal has been replaced by a broader significance. Together, the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca canals serve communities in ways unimaginable to their creators. Now, we reflect on the two-hundred year journey of the Erie Canal and contemplate its future.
THE HAUDENOSAUNEE (IROQUOIS) GREAT BINDING PEACE Permalink
What kind of worldview or religious orientation does it take to make an entire planet uninhabitable? While many think it is our dependence on fossil fuels and the population explosion that has brought us to this point of human destruction, our contention is that these problems have religious foundations which were created and continue to be used by empires as a means to hold dominion over people and the Earth. Opposition to this path of selfdestruction is something Indigenous Peoples have been trying to communicate since first contact, to not jeopardize their traditions of regenerative reciprocity which had thrived for tens of thousands of years.
A Conversation on the Urgency of Indigenous Values Permalink
A CONVERSATION WITH PHILIP P. ARNOLD AND VICTOR TAYLOR ON THE URGENCY OF INDIGENOUS VALUES
CrossCurrents Vol. 74. No. 4. Special Issue: 200 Years of Johnson v. M’Intosh: Indigenous Responses to the Religious Foundations of Racism Permalink
In 2022 Syracuse University received a Henry Luce Foundation grant to support the work of Philip P. Arnold and the Indigenous Values Initiative’s Doctrine of Discovery Project We received three years of funding for ‘200 Years of Johnson v. M’Intosh: Indigenous Responses to the Religious Foundations of Racism.’ This grant and project has been a collaborative initiative made possible through relationships developed over 30 years between academic and Indigenous communities. At its core, the project seeks to interrogate and critically examine connections between the Doctrine of Christian Discovery (DoCD), the Catholic Papal Bulls that undergird the Doctrine, and the Doctrine’s pernicious influence on United States Indian Law today.
S05E05: Reimagining Legal Frameworks: Protecting Native American Sacred Sites and Sovereignty with Michael McNally Permalink
Indigenous values challenge our frameworks of law and spirituality. Are we ready to listen? Dive into our latest episode and let’s discuss the future of sacr...
S06E01: Defending Mother Earth from The Doctrine of Christian Discovery #NoKings Permalink
This episode is a live recording of The Doctrine of Christian Discovery, The Jesuits, and Laudato si: Defending Mother Earth an educational event that took place on Saturday, June 14, 2025 from 1:00-4:00PM. This event seredepitiously coincided with the #NoKings protests which were happening across the nation.
2024
Christian Control Of Women And Mother Earth: The Doctrine Of Discovery And The Doctrine Of Male Domination Permalink
How did the world come to be? How did humans come to be? What is the origin of all living beings? The myth history of who we are begins with the creation.
200 Years of Johnson v. M’Intosh: Law, Religion, and Native American Lands
Our Canopy Forum Thematic Series
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...
The Carleton Papers project Permalink
Having been given an exciting opportunity to project manage the cataloguing of the Carleton Papers (record series PRO 30/55), since September 2016 I have bee...
Gayogohó:nǫ˺ (Cayuga) Legal Defense Fund Launches: Justice for an Indigenous People Permalink
Ithaca, NY- On Sunday, Feb 4th, over 400 Haudenosaunee and US citizens celebrated Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ (Cayuga) culture, the local traditional community, and the ne...
Indigenous Craft Fair Permalink
We invite everyone to visit the Indigenous Peoples Craft Fair on 17 April 2024 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM on the Eighth Floor of the Church Center of the United...
Disavowing the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
Anti-Micronesian bias and colonialism are harming efforts to protect and manage waters surrounding U.S. overseas territories in the Pacific Islands. The Bide...
Mapping the Dispossession of the Haudenosaunee: a chronology Permalink
Beginning in 2014, University Chancellor Kent Syverud initiated several measures honoring the Haudenosaunee. One of the measures is the University’s policy o...
New Good Faith Media Podcast Highlights ‘Doctrine of Christian Discovery’ Permalink
The “Doctrine of Christian Discovery” podcast—produced in collaboration with Syracuse University and Indigenous Values Initiative—explores how a 15th-century...
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...
Renounced by the Vatican, Yet the Repressive Force of 15th Century Persists Permalink
By William D. Sunderlin, Ph.D., and Robert J. Miller, J.D.
The Doctrine of Discovery by Moana Jackson Permalink
As our people march upon government to call for the honouring of our treaty, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the words of Moana Jackson are more poignant, and powerful...
Domination Chronicles Permalink
Greetings Friends and Relatives, I’m excited to announce the roll out of paid subscriptions, which I declined to do for our first year. However, many of you ...
Global Indigenous People’s Caucus 2024 Permalink
Dear Relatives,
Global Indigenous Women’s Caucus 2024 Permalink
Dear Sisters,
Inclusion is not the same as Self-Determination — and may undermine it Permalink
But questions nagged at me:
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...
Indigenous Sovereignty and Colonial Frameworks: A Comparative Analysis of Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Australia
Indigenous resistance to colonial frameworks in settler-colonial states like Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Australia reveals an enduring tension between the desire for self-determination and the constraints of colonial structures.
Indigenous People’s Day Festival Permalink
Onondaga Nation – On Sunday, October 13, 2024, join Onondaga community members, Tsha’ Thoñ’nhes management, We of Italian and Syracuse Heritage in CNY, and N...
Johnson v McIntosh & the Mental World of Domination A Brief Video by Steven Newcomb and William Laronal, Jr. Permalink
Transcript PDF
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...
From Land Theft To Land Back The OAS And The Onondaga Nation Land Rights Action Permalink
From Land Theft To Land Back The OAS And The Onondaga Nation Land Rights Action -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The International Law of Colonialism: Johnson v. M’Intosh and the Doctrine of Discovery Applied Worldwide Permalink
Miller, Robert J. “The International Law of Colonialism: Johnson v. M’Intosh and the Doctrine of Discovery Applied Worldwide.” Tribal Law Journal 23, 1 (2024).
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...
Onondaga Nation to restore sacred creek after colonial theft Permalink
Onondaga Creek, muddied by more than 100 years of pollution, may soon flow with a renewed glimmer under the care of its original protectors, the Onondaga Nat...
Documenting Domination: From the Doctrine of Christian Discovery to Dominion Theology Permalink
The Doctrine of Christian Discovery is a series of fifteenth-century papal bulls that served as the theological and legal justification for the colonization ...
Evangelical Zionism: From the River to the Sea Palestine by Tad Delay Permalink
Sitting amid this background before a congressional hearing, Reagan’s secretary of the interior James G. Watt was asked if he would protect wildernesses for ...
Video: Steve Newcomb (Shawnee/Lenape) and Peter d’Errico continue a decades-long conversation about Indigenous Peoples Permalink
Steve Newcomb (Shawnee/Lenape) and Peter d’Errico continue a decades-long conversation about Indigenous Peoples.
Post: Steve Newcomb (Shawnee/Lenape) and Peter d’Errico continue a decades-long conversation about Indigenous Peoples Permalink
Steve Newcomb Talks With Peter d’Errico.
What is the Doctrine of Discovery? Permalink
Papal Bulls of the 15th century gave Christian explorers the right to claim lands they ‘discovered’ and lay claim to those lands for their Christian Monarchs.
Ten Religious Themes of the Doctrine of Christian Discovery (DoCD) that Contrast with Indigenous Values Permalink
With issuance of 15th century Papal Bulls known as the Doctrine of Christian Discovery, religion has been used all over the world as a weapon against.
Animal Nations and the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
Democracy didn’t come across on the Mayflower. Indeed not. Nor with the Niña nor Santa Maria. Certainly not. Democracy was here. Archive context. Archive.
Part 2: The beginning of an Analysis of Settler Colonialism Emerges at AMC 2022 Permalink
In the 1600s when enslaved Africans disembarked en masse and travel weary to this land mass, they arrived in a place where hundreds of Indigenous groups.
Superseding the Doctrine of Discovery: World Water One Permalink
CEMANAHUAC Superseding the Doctrine of Discovery: World Water One www.www.www This Outcome pointer preserves canonical archive context. Archive context.
The Doctrine of Discovery and Christian Zionism Permalink
The Doctrine of Discovery (DoD) has a well documented and researched connection to the colonization of Turtle Island. Its ideology, however, reaches far.
City of Sherrill v. Oneida Indian Nation, 544 U.S. 197 (2005): THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN DISCOVERY AND DOMINATION AND THE DENIAL OF TREATY RIGHTS Permalink
This shameful, land mark decision by the Supreme Court was issued just three weeks after the filing of the Onondaga Nation’s Land Rights Action. Archive.
Part 1: The Origins of the Combahee River Collective Statement Permalink
Asia, Africa, and Europe all meet in the Americas to labor over the dialectics of free and unfree This Outcome pointer preserves canonical archive context.
The Myth of Divine Right and the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over.
Effectuating Renunciation: An International Effort to Provide a Pathway to Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
On September 8, 2021 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) voted to renounce the Doctrine of Discovery by adopting Motion 048, now.
Part 4: Making Common Cause: Imagining Shared Futures Permalink
In the 1600s when enslaved Africans disembarked en masse and travel weary to this land mass, they arrived in a place where hundreds of Indigenous groups.
Indigenous Consent: A Right Rooted in the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
Indians being the prior occupants, possess the right to the soil. It cannot be taken from them unless by their free consent… Archive context. Archive context.
Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association, 485 U.S. 439 Permalink
In 1988 the United States Supreme Court declared constitutional the federal government’s development plan in the High Country, aboriginal homeland of the.
Manifest Destiny Permalink
Manifest Destiny is a nineteenth century term designating an expansionist ideology grounded in the Doctrine of Christian Discovery and republican ideals.
How we met the Doctrine of Discovery. A Maya commentary - Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
It was an ordinary evening on October 9, 2018 when, scrolling down my mouse wheel randomly looking at posts on Facebook something suddenly caught my…
The Regalian Doctrine: The Philippine Case Permalink
The Philippines has over 14 17 million remaining Indigenous peoples belonging to an estimated 110 ethnolinguistic communities (between 10 20% of the total.
Reappraising the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
Again, were we to inquire by what law or authority you set up a claim [to our land], I answer, none! Your laws extend not into our country, nor ever did.
Part 3: Using the Doctrine of Discovery to Foreground an Analysis of Settler Colonialism Permalink
In the 1600s when enslaved Africans disembarked en masse and travel weary to this land mass, they arrived in a place where hundreds of Indigenous groups.
Settler Colonialism in Higher Education: Syracuse University and the Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery (… and Onondaga Limestone) Permalink
Keywords: Settler colonialism, higher education, land grant, the Whipple Report, Onondaga Nation, Syracuse University Archive context. Archive context.
City of Sherrill v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York Permalink
In March 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in City of Sherrill, New York v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York. Sherrill is a case about.
Sublimis Deus, Pastorale Officium and Non Indecens Videtur – A Historical Dive Into the Vatican’s Failure to Rescind the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
In our journey of dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery and its horrible legacy, there is a recurring argument from the Catholic church and its supporters.
Sublimis Deus (Sublimis Dei) Permalink
On the limits of Sublimis Deus (also called Sublimis Dei). This Outcome pointer preserves canonical archive context. Archive context. Archive context.
Uncovering the Invisible: The Doctrine of Discovery, its Impact on the Brazilian Indigenous Peoples, on the environment and how it continues to shape the Brazilian landscape today: English Permalink
Doctrine of Discovery, Brazilian Literature, Indigenous Peoples, Amazon Forest, Yanomami, Environment, Colonization, Imperialism, Rainforest, Indigenous.
The U.S. Government’s Claim of a Right of Domination Permalink
Joseph Story is regarded as a genius and a giant in the legal profession. This Outcome pointer preserves canonical archive context. Archive context. Archive.
What Doctrine of Discovery Statements of Religious Repudiation Reveal Permalink
Nations formulate doctrines that define and guide their relations toward other nations. The Monroe Doctrine, and the Truman, Carter, and Bush Doctrines are.
Vol. 5 No. 2 (2024): From Indigenous Religions to Indigenous Values Permalink
The second issue of volume five of the Journal of the Council for Research on Religion (JCREOR) is a special issue, From Indigenous ‘Religions’ to. Outcome.
The Bankruptcy of the Category of Religion Permalink
This article takes as its point of departure the 2022 Interim Report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, entitled.
Indigenous Values Initiative Together with the American Indian Law Alliance Submits this Report Permalink
The Territorial Integrity of Mother Earth, Indigenous Peoples, and the Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief Outcome archive context. Outcome archive context.
Intellectual Acknowledgement in Favour of Religious Freedom and Justice Permalink
Intellectual Acknowledgement in Favour of Religious Freedom and Justice: Comparative History of Religions and Ideas as Methodology for Education Outcome.
Learning From Reflection and Looking to the Future: Two Years on from the UN Report on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Indigenous Peoples. Permalink
The article reviews how the UN Special Interim Report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief has been used as a critical tool for.
Eve Reyes-Aguirre: Environment & Creation Permalink
The podcast explores how a centuries old Christian doctrine encouraged conquest and colonization of non Christians and how its legacies still affect various.
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.
Betty Lyons: Understanding the Doctrine Permalink
Betty Lyons confronts the Doctrine of Discovery through Haudenosaunee diplomacy and legal advocacy. This Outcome pointer preserves canonical archive context.
Robert P. Jones: White Supremacy’s Roots Permalink
Robert P. Jones examines Christian supremacy, polling data, and dismantling colonial theologies. This Outcome pointer preserves canonical archive context.
Robert J. Miller: Property & Sovereignty Permalink
Robert J. Miller outlines legal strategies tribes use to counter conquest era doctrines. This Outcome pointer preserves canonical archive context. Archive.
Gustavo Melo Cerqueira & Danielle N. Boaz: Religious Racism Permalink
Gustavo Melo Cerqueira and Danielle Boaz discuss combating religious racism across the hemisphere. This Outcome pointer preserves canonical archive context.
Steven Newcomb & JoDe Goudy: U.S. Law Permalink
Steven Newcomb and JoDe Goudy reflect on Indigenous law, activism, and undoing papal domination. This Outcome pointer preserves canonical archive context.
Eve Reyes-Aguirre: Environment & Creation Permalink
Eve Reyes Aguirre shares Tonatierra community organizing against imperial Christianity. This entry connects Doctrine of Discovery scholarship, Indigenous.
João Chaves: The Doctrine of Christian Discovery’s Influence in the Americas Permalink
João Chaves explains how evangelical missions fueled colonization in Brazil and beyond. This Outcome pointer preserves canonical archive context. Archive.
Mitch Randall: Countering Conversion Permalink
Mitch Randall urges faith communities to reject conquest theology and stand with Indigenous nations. This Outcome pointer preserves canonical archive context.
Race, Religion, and Nationalism in the 21st Century Permalink
This Special Issue invites submissions that interrogate the intersection between race, religion, and nationalism in the 21st century. Submissions might explo...
Return land on Onondaga Lake to the Onondaga Nation (Your Letters) Permalink
What a delight to read Steve Featherstone’s feature article about the long-overdue return of 1,000 acres in the Tully Valley to the Onondaga Nation. Hearing ...
Insights and Reflections from Syracuse University’s Conference on the Religious Origins of White Supremacy Permalink
As I reflected on the discussions, I realized that without action, valuable Indigenous knowledge becomes an extracted resource often at the benefit of non-In...
Native Americans and the British in the 18th century Permalink
While Britain’s American Colonies grew, Native American tribes became increasingly reliant on European powers for trade goods, especially metal objects and f...
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 ...
Focus on the Onondaga: A chronology of dispossession Permalink
Beginning in 2014, University Chancellor Kent Syverud initiated several measures honoring the Haudenosaunee. One of the measures is the University’s policy o...
S04E01: Unearthing the Foundations: Examining Native American Legal Battles and the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
S04E02: Exploring the American Religious Tapestry: From Civil Religion to Secularism and the Impact of the January 6th Insurrection Permalink
S04E03: Reclaiming Sacred Ground: Indigenous Sovereignty, Environmental Wisdom, and the Path to Restorative Justice with Patrick Gonzalez-Rogers Permalink
S04E04: Reckoning with the Legacy of Colonization: A Dialogue on Native American Erasure and Resilience with Tink Tinker Permalink
S04E06: Unveiling Histories: Colonialism, Faith, and Identity in the Americas with João Chaves Permalink
S05E01: Bridging History and Today: Religion, Law, and Indigenous Influences in American Democracy with Winnifred Fallers Sullivan Permalink
Dive into the history of religious freedom in the U.S. with Winifred Sullivan! Explore the intersection of faith, law, and indigenous influences shaping Amer...
S05E02: Exploring the Legacy of Vine Deloria Jr. on Native American Thought with Philip Deloria Permalink
Unpack the transformative power of indigenous knowledge and its impact on modern politics with Philip Deloria. From colonialism to Native sovereignty, this e...
S05E03: Reclaiming Faith: Dismantling white Christian Supremacy and Healing Through Indigenous Spirituality with Soulforce Permalink
Dive into Reclaiming Faith: Dismantling White Christian Supremacy and Healing Through Indigenous Spirituality with Soulforce!
S05E04: Unveiling the Doctrine of Discovery: Historical Injustice and Pathways to Healing with Steven J. Schwartzberg Permalink
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation on faith, nationalism, and Indigenous sovereignty. Special guest Steve Schwartzberg shares insights on historica...
Listsen to the Doctrine of Christian Discovery Podcast Now Permalink
Listen to the podcast on Megaphone, Spotify or Apple.
‘Political Principles and Indian Sovereignty’: Lee Hester’s Philosophical Critique of US Anti-Indian Law Permalink
The Supreme Court now avoids naming the doctrine, as if that makes the problem go away.
Political theology, discovery and the roots of the ‘great replacement’ Permalink
Bossen, C. (2024). Political theology, discovery and the roots of the ‘great replacement’. Race & Class, 0(0). .
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...
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.
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?
Settler Colonialism in Higher Education: Syracuse University and the Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery (… and Onondaga Limestone)
Keywords: Settler colonialism, higher education, land grant, the Whipple Report, Onondaga Nation, Syracuse University
New Resources: Talking to Christians about the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
Remember, if it’s starting to get heated, step out and take a breather, you can always have the kōrero again another day. TLDR: It’s ok to be Christian, it’s...
Louisiana’s Ten Commandment Truthiness Permalink
I watch and wonder if we are witnessing the (re)birth of a distinctly American religion. One that shares a kinship and affinity with prior permutations of Am...
The Doctrine of Discovery’s Disastrous Legacy by Antonia Malchik Permalink
Do you ever wonder how land comes to be privately owned? I wonder all the time. It’s the whole reason for this newsletter. I’m interested in other forms of 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...
Trump’s Dangerous Rhetoric of Dehumanization Permalink
Civilization and personhood are the intellectual bulwarks for the justification of colonization. The colonizer assumes they are made in the image of their Go...
‘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...
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...
Digital Testimony of the Haudenosaunee Permalink
The Haudenosaunee are embarking on an historic project about the 500-year history of the Haudenosaunee, their relationship with Europe and America and their ...
REL 500/600: The Religious Origins of White Supremacy: Johnson v. M’Intosh and the Doctrine of Christian Discovery Syllabus
Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to our podcast, blog, and conference. As part of the Doctrine of Discovery Project we wanted to do a syllabus s...
The Doctrine of Christian Discovery Podcast Zotero Library Permalink
The Doctrine of Christian Discovery Podcast Zotero Library
Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery Zotero Library Permalink
Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery Zotero Library
2023
Christian Control Of Women And Mother Earth: The Doctrine Of Discovery And The Doctrine Of Male Domination
How did the world come to be? How did humans come to be? What is the origin of all living beings? The myth-history of who we are begins with the creation sto...
Superseding the Doctrine of Discovery: World Water One
CEMANAHUAC Superseding the Doctrine of Discovery: World Water One www.www.www
Animal Nations and the Doctrine of Discovery
Democracy: “Democracy didn’t come across on the Mayflower. Indeed not. Nor with the Niña nor Santa Maria. Certainly not. Democracy was here. It was in full f...
Continuing Christian Domination: A Response To The Vatican’s Repudiation Of The Doctrine Of Discovery Permalink
When the Vatican finally comes to the realization it is mired in the genocidal mud of centuries of racist exploitation of Indigenous peoples around the world...
Canadian Museum for Human Rights on the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
The Doctrine of Discovery is a legal and religious concept that has been used for centuries to justify Christian colonial conquest. It advanced the idea that...
200 Years of Johnson v. M’Intosh: Law, Religion, and Native American Lands Permalink
A Canopy Forum Thematic Series March – April 2023
Johnson v. M’Intosh, Wi Parata v. Bishop of Wellington, and the Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery in Aotearoa-New Zealand Permalink
The presentation of the settlements process as a means for settling the grievances caused by violations of Te Tiriti o Waitangi has more problematic repercus...
Haaland v. Brackeen and the Logic of Discovery Permalink
In this light, I fear that the Brackeen lawsuit is the first in a row of dominoes — if the Court strikes down ICWA, everything else could soon go with it.&qu...
The Contemporary Presence of Discovery’s Assertion in Canada Permalink
One of the striking features of chief justice John Marshall’s articulation of the Doctrine of Discovery is the assertion that Indigenous sovereignty and righ...
Johnson v. M’Intosh, Plenary Power, and Our Colonial Constitution Permalink
Johnson v. M’Intosh was a land dispute, where multiple parties brought competing claims of title. Marshall boiled the case down to one question: can an India...
However, Extravagant The Pretensions Of Johnson V. M’Intosh by Betty Lyons and Adam DJ Brett Permalink
"[Tonya] Gonella Frichner, Robert Williams, Jr., Joseph J. Heath, and Peter P. d’Errico have sounded a clarion call for the rescinding and repudiating o...
Federal Anti-Indian Law: The Legal Entrapment of Indigenous Peoples by Peter d’Errico Permalink
Chief Justice Marshall constructed federal anti-Indian law in three early nineteenth-century cases. First came Johnson v. McIntosh (1823), a property law dec...
Robert J. Miller, The International Law of Colonialism: Johnson v. M’Intosh and the Doctrine of Discovery Applied Worldwide Permalink
This international law, called the Doctrine of Discovery today, is made up of ten distinct elements. Common law courts dissect crimes and torts into their un...
Introduction to 200 Years of Johnson v. M’Intosh: Law, Religion, and Native American Lands Permalink
In 1823, Chief Justice John Marshall based the supposed right of colonizing forces to dominate and take ownership of the land on what he viewed as the natura...
Johnson v. M’Intosh and the Missing Cover of the Jigsaw Puzzle Permalink
Given that this interpretive work involves words and ideas, and not physical puzzle pieces, we as Native scholars face an interesting challenge: How do we ta...
The Legacy of the Right to Control Land and Dependency Permalink
Johnson v. M’Intosh established the precedent that the federal government of the United States had the sole right to negotiate with and extinguish indigenous...
Did Pope Alexander VI Authorize England’s Colonization of North America? Permalink
English imperial adventurism did not begin with Alexander. It began with [King] Henry [VII] skirting or directly contradicting Inter caetera. Henry would not...
Save the Date: Christian Domination & The Genocide of Turtle Island
Please join us for panel discussion with Philip P. Arnold, Tupac Enrique Acosta, Sandy Bigtree, Joe Heath, Betty Lyons, Tina Ngata.
The Doctrine of Discovery and Christian Zionism
The Doctrine of Discovery (DoD) has a well-documented and researched connection to the colonization of Turtle Island. Its ideology, however, reaches far beyo...
How Do Christians Stand in Solidarity with Wabanaki Nations?
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Newcastle, Maine 17 th Sunday after Pentecost September 24, 2023
SU hosts conference on white supremacy 200 years after Johnson v. McIntosh ruling Permalink
Ilianna Murphy, a junior at Simpson College who attended the conference, said her biggest takeaway is the importance of listening more to Indigenous people a...
WTL Conversations [S3E15]: Robert P. Jones Conversation with Phil Arnold and Sandy Bigtree on the Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery Podcast Permalink
Attendee Reflection: Conference: The Religious Origins of White Supremacy: Johnson v. M’Intosh and the Doctrine of Christian Discovery Permalink
I wanted to get some thoughts written in a place where I could share them, but this post only scratches the surface of what I heard and experienced. One pers...
Conference Schedule The Religious Origins of White Supremacy: Johnson v. M’Intosh and the Doctrine of Christian Discovery.
Website Note The printed conference schedeule will have panel locations. The printed schedule is canonical.
Continuación de la dominación de la Cristiandad: una respuesta a la declaración de repudio del Vaticano a la Doctrina del Descubrimiento - Español
por Betty Lyons, Sandra Bigtree y Philip Arnold
CRFP: Indigenous Peoples express hope and concern at Vatican’s repudiation of Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
Philip P Arnold, a professor of religious studies at Syracuse University and the founding director of Skä·noñh — Great Law of Peace Center, was interviewed o...
The Myth of Divine Right and the Doctrine of Discovery
Conventional wisdom holds that the Doctrine of Discovery originated with a series of papal bulls issued by several 15th-Century popes. But it is unlikely tha...
Unraveling the International Law of Colonialism: Lessons From Australia and the United States Permalink
In the 1823 decision of Johnson v. M’Intosh, Chief Justice John Marshall formulated the international law of colonialism. Known as the Doctrine of Discovery,...
How we met the Doctrine of Discovery. A Maya commentary
It was an ordinary evening on October 9, 2018 when, scrolling down my mouse wheel randomly looking at posts on Facebook something suddenly caught my attentio...
Effectuating Renunciation: An International Effort to Provide a Pathway to Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery
On September 8, 2021 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) voted to renounce the Doctrine of Discovery by adopting Motion 048, now Resolu...
Indigenous Consent: A Right Rooted in the Doctrine of Discovery
Consent is a fundamental Indigenous right that exists in a reciprocal relationship with all other Indigenous rights. However, the role of consent is especial...
An Original Nations’ Examination of “Freedom,” “Human” and “Human Rights”
This essay reveals why, from an Original Nations’ Perspective, the term “human,” in the Greco-Roman-Judeo-Christian sense, as traced to the Vatican papal bulls of the fifteenth century, means “living under domination,” which in turn changes our understanding of the term “freedom.” We will explain why the international framework of human rights is not designed to liberate Peoples from the claim of a right of domination.
Revoke the Papal Bulls Permalink
In response to the Papal Bulls issued 530 years ago today and tomorrow (3 and 4 May 1493): Indigenous Law Institute and Original Nations Advocates “Revoke the Papal Bulls” A View-from-the-Shore Analysis of the Vatican’s 30 March 2023 Statement on the Doctrine of Discovery
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny is a nineteenth-century term designating an expansionist ideology grounded in the Doctrine of Christian Discovery and republican ideals that...
Aucan Huilcaman: Chilean Constitutional Process and its Permanent Denial of the Mapuche Nation Permalink
The Chilean political class that converges in the Chamber of Deputies and Senators, not only continue to act in the “old political doctrine of denial of the ...
Indigenous Peoples And Religious Modes Of Othering A Comparative History Of Religions Perspective Two Workshops 24 And 30/31 May 2023
Offical Program Download PDF
Oak Flats and the Doctrine of Discovery unprecedented challenge and opportunity
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Order, Economy, and Legality: Johnson v. M’Intosh after Two Hundred Years Permalink
Johnson’s Lessee v. M’Intosh is an 1823 United States Supreme Court decision that serves as a hinge moment in the legal conquest of Native Americans. The cas...
Conflicting Perspectives Regarding the Holy Mountain Called ‘San Francisco Peaks,’ and Other Sacred and Significant Places of Original Nations and Traditional Healers Permalink
Steven Newcomb (Shawnee/Lenape)
Inter-American Commission On Human Rights Of The Organization Of American States Case No. P-624-14
The Onondaga Nation And The Haudenosaunee Against The United States Of America The Onondaga Nation And The Haudenosaunee Confederacy Supplemental Submission ...
The Regalian Doctrine: The Philippine Case
Introduction
Syracuse University to Host Conference that Addresses Legal and Theological Theory of the Doctrine of Christian Discovery Permalink
Reappraising the Doctrine of Discovery
The European doctrine of discovery principle, recognized as recently as 1986 by a federal district court as a legal fiction, nevertheless remains one of the ...
Call for Artists
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“Revoke the Papal Bulls”: Our Response to the Vatican’s March 30 Statement on the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
Let us set the context for this discussion. The context begins with the free existence of our Native nations and peoples, extending back to the beginning of ...
Part 2: The beginning of an Analysis of Settler Colonialism Emerges at AMC 2022
Indigenous women from around Africa arrived to traditionally Native land bases that were often in turmoil. If the Indigenous nations of the place were able t...
Part 1: The Origins of the Combahee River Collective Statement
50 miles from Charleston, South Carolina, is the mouth of the Combahee River, named for the Indigenous people of the place. It was home to numerous plantatio...
Part 4: Making Common Cause: Imagining Shared Futures
Creating spaces like that of the AMC AfroFeministFutures panel will allow Black feminists to reflect on the legacy of Black feminism, and what futures can lo...
Part 3: Using the Doctrine of Discovery to Foreground an Analysis of Settler Colonialism
The Doctrine of Discovery (DoD, sometimes called the Doctrine of Christian Domination) is considered a major root of settler colonialism globally. The DoD is...
Undoing the Christian nationalism of the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
The repudiation, which came in a statement from a bureaucratic office, not Pope Francis himself, said the doctrine had been “manipulated” by colonizers “to j...
S03E06: Exploring the Cultural, Historical, and Culinary Significance of Chilis with Victor Valle. Permalink
City of Sherrill v. Oneida Indian Nation, 544 U.S. 197 (2005): THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN DISCOVERY AND DOMINATION AND THE DENIAL OF TREATY RIGHTS
This shameful, land mark decision by the Supreme Court was issued just three weeks after the filing of the Onondaga Nation’s Land Rights Action. It was a rem...
Uncovering the Invisible: The Doctrine of Discovery, its Impact on the Brazilian Indigenous Peoples, on the environment and how it continues to shape the Brazilian landscape today: English
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Descubrir lo invisible: la doctrina del descubrimiento, su impacto en los pueblos indígenas de Brasil, el medio ambiente y cómo sigue configurando el paisaje brasileño actual: Spanish
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Descobrindo o Invisível: A Doutrina do Descobrimento, seu Impacto sobre os Povos Indígenas Brasileiros, sobre o meio ambiente e como ela continua a moldar a paisagem brasileira nos dias de hoje: Portugese
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The Urgency of Indigenous Values Permalink
Philip P. Arnold, The Urgency of Indigenous Values, (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 2023), ISBN: 9780815638087.
The U.S. Government’s Claim of a Right of Domination
Joseph Story is regarded as a genius and a giant in the legal profession. His continuing influence on American law was demonstrated for me some years ago whe...
The Goepolitical and International Law Objectives of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Permalink
Robert is discussing the ideas of discovery and control of land through the lens of Thomas Jefferson and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
What Doctrine of Discovery Statements of Religious Repudiation Reveal
Nations formulate doctrines that define and guide their relations toward other nations. The Monroe Doctrine, and the Truman, Carter, and Bush Doctrines are A...
World Water One Permalink
Ten years since the First Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery International Conference held at Arizona State University West on April 19-20, 2013, the Cont...
Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association, 485 U.S. 439
In 1988 the United States Supreme Court declared constitutional the federal government’s development plan in the High Country, aboriginal homeland of the Kar...
ILP Webinar: Unraveling the International Law of Colonialism: The 200th Anniversary of Johnson v M’Intosh–March 10 2023 Permalink
Johnson v M’Intosh is an 1823 U.S. Supreme Court case about how the Discovery Doctrine was used to justify denying Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples’ l...
Unraveling the International Law of Colonialism: The 200th Anniversary of Johnson v. M’Intosh Permalink
S02E05: Dissecting the Doctrine of Discovery: Indigenous Rights, White Supremacy, and the United Nations with Betty Lyons Permalink
S02E07: Exploring the Doctrine of Discovery, Indigenous Struggles, and the Pursuit of Balance Part 1 Oren Lyons Permalink
S02E08: Exploring the Doctrine of Discovery, Indigenous Struggles, and the Pursuit of Balance Part 2 with Oren Lyons Permalink
Our guest is Onondaga Nation Turtle Clan Faithkeepr Oren Lyons.
S03E01: The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Doctrine of Christian Discovery an interview with Robert P. Jones Permalink
S03E02: White Evangelical Racism and its Influence on American Politics an Interview with Anthea Butler Permalink
S03E04: Beekeeping, Mushrooms and Sculptures: A Glimpse into Traditional Lithuanian Life with Eglutė Trinkauskaitė Permalink
Baptist World Alliance General Council Resolution 2023.1: Dignity and Justice for Indigenous Peoples
Baptist World Alliance’s statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.
Quaker Colonialism: Reflections on the Past and Actions for the Future Reflections on the Past
We understand that the majority of early Friends who settled on this continent were from Western Europe and held a Western European worldview of their relati...
The Church of the Brethern has repuidated the Doctrine of Discovery
The Church of the Brethern has repuidated the Doctrine of Discovery
U.S. v. KING MOUNTAIN TOBACCO CO., INC. DECISION 9th Circuit, August 13, 2018
Tobacco company, owned by a Yakima Nation citizen, makes cigarettes using 54 % tobacco that is grown on allotted nation land, held in trust by US. The 9th Ci...
The Religious Origins of White Supremacy: Johnson v. M’Intosh and the Doctrine of Christian Discovery.
The conference will take place at Syracuse University from 8-10 December 2023.
2022
Ten Religious Themes of the Doctrine of Christian Discovery (DoCD) that Contrast with Indigenous Values
With issuance of 15th century Papal Bulls known as the Doctrine of Christian Discovery, religion has been used all over the world as a weapon against Indigen...
Call for Authors on the Doctrine of Discovery
We are now accepting applications for partnership and collaboration with The Doctrine of Discovery Project.
On the Papal Bull, Sublimis Deus Permalink
The bull Sublimis Deus was not retroactive. It could not be projected back in time. It could not remove the death, destruction, and dehumanization that the H...
Sublimis Deus, Pastorale Officium and Non Indecens Videtur – A Historical Dive Into the Vatican’s Failure to Rescind the Doctrine of Discovery
In our journey of dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery and its horrible legacy, there is a recurring argument from the Catholic church and its supporters, t...
Tadodaho on language
“They severed our tongues so we couldn’t speak our language then punished us for not being able to speak it.” - Tadodaho
The Two Row Wampum: a Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery Permalink
In the Two Row Wampum, an agreement between two peoples, the Dutch were the first Europeans to sit down and negotiate with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, doi...
Brackeen v. Haaland, the Indian Child Welfare Act case now in the Supreme Court: Seen in Perspective Permalink
The fracturing of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in its effort to decide Brakeen in 2021 demonstrates the deep confusion and contradiction (some say schi...
Examining the History and Consequences of the Doctrine of Christian Discovery Permalink
We have just been awarded a Henry Luce Grant for a 3 year project examining the religious dimensions of the Doctrine of Christian Discovery.
Sublimis Deus (Sublimis Dei)
On the limits of Sublimis Deus (also called Sublimis Dei).
S01E01 - The Legal Framework of the Doctrine of Christian Discovery in Practice with Joe Heath Permalink
S01E02 -The Doctrine Of Christian Discovery As An Ideological And Legal Framework with Steven T. Newcomb Permalink
S01E03 - The Doctrine of Discovery in the Mesoamerican Context with Davíd Carrasco Permalink
After discussing how the Zócalo provides a snapshot of colonization, Arnold shifts the conversation to the History of Religions as a theory and method for un...
S01E05 - The Doctrine of Discovery in the context of Abya Yala with Tupac Enrique Acosta Permalink
Tupac Enrique Acosta, (Izkaloteka Mexica Azteca), TONATIERRA, One of the original conveners of the gathering of Tlahtokan Aztlan in 1984 in the O’otham Jeved...
Evangelical Lutheran Church In Canada In Mission For Others
Read the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada in Mission For Others’s statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.
The Presbyterian Church in Canada
Read the Presbyterian Church in Canada’s statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.
Uniting Church in Australia, Repuidates the Doctrine of Discovery
Read the Uniting Church in Australia’s statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.
City of Sherrill v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York
Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Doctrine of Discovery.
Inter Caetera
The Papal Bull Inter Caetera of May 4, 1493
2021
Acknowledging the Doctrine of Christian Domination
Since the doctrine of discovery has been institutionalized in U.S. Indian law and policy for generations, including by the U.S. Supreme Court, the question a...
Two Kinds of Beings: The Doctrine of Discovery And Its Implications for Yesterday and Today
‘What is the United States position with respect to its 1863 treaty with the Western Shoshone Indians?’
Oak Flat and Pope Alexander VI’s Papal Decree of Domination in U.S. Law Permalink
Steven Newcomb (Shawnee/Lenape) Prior to the invasion of this continent (“North America”) by representatives of the monarchs of Western Christendom, the orig...
The Original Cancel Culture Permalink
The idea that Chief Wahoo is somehow honoring Indigenous peoples and his removal is cancel culture is not only absurd but is the reinforcement of the mindset...
U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Boarding School Initiative
Read the Indian Boarding School Initiative document.
The Doctrine Of Christian Discovery: Its Fundamental Importance In United States Indian Law And The Need For its Repudiation And Removal
The doctrine of discovery has continued to be the cornerstone of United States Indian law. A series of recent, disturbing decisions by the Supreme Court and ...
Pagans in the Promised Land: a Primer on Religious Freedom Permalink
Significant aspects of this research were published in the New York University Review of Law & Social Change (Vol. 20, Number 2, 1993), “The Evidence of ...
Truth and Justification: On the Cruelties Against Indigenous People Permalink
And yet, all across Mother Earth, stories reverberate of Indigenous nations and peoples’ resistance and refusal in the face of the settler colonial state. We...
Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers)
Read the Canadian Friends Service Committee statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.
Community of Christ
Read the Community of Christ statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.
Evangelical Covenant Church Repudiates the Doctrine of Discovery
Read the Evangelical Covenant Churches statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.
Mennonite Church (USA)
Read the Mennonite statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.
Roman Catholic Organizations Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery
Roman Catholic Organization Statements Repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.
Evangelical Church in Canada
Read the Evangelical Church in Canada statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.
198 Years of Domination: Screening of The Doctrine of Discovery: Unmasking the Domination Code with Panel
A Screening Of The Domination Code followed by an incredible panel discussion with Sheldon Wolfchild (Dakota), Steven Newcomb (Shawnee/Lenape), Buffy Sainte ...
2020
Decolonization, Discovery, Sovereignty, and Neocolonialism Permalink
Featured speaker: Tupac Enrique Acosta, Tonatierra
What Fifteenth-Century Papal Bulls Can Teach Us About Indigenous Identity Permalink
To really understand the American landscape, you need to know about the Doctrine of Discovery. As a set of principles used to justify European colonization, ...
Embrace Indigenous Values and Remove Iconic Fascist Memorials
With the majority of the country now joining forces with the Black Lives Matter Movement, we have a chance to pause and revisit a very important time in hist...
An Exorcism, Junipero Serra, and the Papal Bulls Permalink
Archbishop Cordileone said his ceremony was intended to drive out evil and defend the image of Serra.
The Doctrine Of Christian Discovery And Domination, Colonizing Indigenous Peoples, And The State Of Maine
The Doctrine of Christian Discovery and Domination comprises a worldview and promotes the legal and moral authority justifying the invasion and conquest of n...
Maine’s Original Sin, by John Dieffenbacher-Krall Permalink
Doctrine of Discovery Resources and Bibliography
Mennonite reflections on Mother Earth’s Pandemic
Members of the Mennonite Missions Network attended Mother Earth’s Pandemic: The Doctrine of Discovery conference and did some post events writeup
Indigenous Peoples, International Law, and Colonialism Lecture Permalink
Robert J Miller, Professor of Law in the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University gave a lecture entitled “Indigenous Peoples, Internat...
Misconceptions About McGirt v. Oklahoma Permalink
Federal Indian law displaces the historical ‘starting point’ — the original free existence of Native nations…
Native American Religious Freedom after Trump Permalink
We should note that from the perspective of Native Americans, religious freedom has never been a good tool.
Now Streaming: The Doctrine of Discovery: Unmasking the Domination Code Permalink
Watch Now Now Streaming
Pope’s Indigenous tour signals a rethink of mission legacy Permalink
For decades, Indigenous peoples have demanded the Holy See formally rescind the 15th century papal bulls, or decrees, that gave European kingdoms the religio...
Tadodaho on peace and the natural world
“Peace can only be attained when human beings live in proper relationship to the natural world” Tadodaho
Forming a “More Perfect Union” Through Indigenous Values Permalink
What better time than now to consider the ancient wisdom of our ancestors who, for thousands of years, sustained a more equitable way of living in proper rel...
How the Vatican encouraged the colonization of Indigenous lands – and enabled the Crown to keep them Permalink
Beneath glowering portraits of Balboa, Cortez and other Spanish conquistadors, Mr. Newcomb pored over the familiar Latin phrases, many of which he’d memorize...
What Fifteenth-Century Papal Bulls Can Teach Us About Indigenous Identity Permalink
Whether the intent of domination expressed by that language is part of “official Church teachings” is irrelevant in my view. What is relevant is that, throug...
Mother Earth‘s Pandemic: The Doctrine of Discovery
This conference will connect the dots between our current pandemic, environmental devastation, the Doctrine of Discovery, and a way forward.
Revisiting George Washington’s assault on the Haudenosaunee 240 Years Later
In 1779, General George Washington suspended the colonial war against England and moved to extinguish the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations Iroquois) with his “Sull...
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly In Mcgirt V. Oklahoma
As promising as this decision is, deeply racist problems remain in US law.Left unsaid by Gorsuch was his, and the court’s, unquestioned acceptance of “plenar...
Domination and the Murder of George Floyd
In CounterPunch, Shawnee/Lenape scholar Steve Newcomb connects anti-blackness and racism to the domination and dehumanization of the Doctrine of Discovery.
REVIEW ESSAY The Doctrine of Discovery as a Doctrine of Domination
In JSRNC, independent scholar Joy Greenberg reviewed Pagans in the Promised Land and The Doctrine of Discovery: Unmasking the Domination Code.
Mother Earth‘s Pandemic: The Doctrine of Discovery Session Videos
Complete list of all of the talks and bonus content
Let‘s Change the Subject: Grounding Social Change in Indigenous History and Philosophy
This article begins by raising a problem: when social change and justice issues are addressed, rarely are Indigenous nations and peoples considered.
Uniting Church in Sweden Repudiates the Doctrine of Discovery
Read the Uniting Church in Sweden statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.
Mother Earth‘s Pandemic Resources
Resources mentioned durined the sessions.
2019
Basic Call to Consciousness
Basic Call to Consciousness copies are available in English and Spanish.
Nuclear Reactors are Not Green: A Red Paper Permalink
A Red Paper by Onondaga Nation, Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force and American Indian Law Alliance.
Christian Domination and the Failure of ‘Truth and Reconciliation’
A conference in Onondaga Nation Territory, at Syracuse University and Skä·noñh—Great Law of Peace Center, Saturday and Sunday, 17-18 August 2019.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Repudiates the Doctrine of Discovery
Read the ELCA’s statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.
The Doctrine of Discovery and Colonial Terrorism: A Dialogue Between Sovereign Women, Weaving Indigenous Truths Across Time and Space
Like the rings of a tree, the record of our people, our indigenous truth, is carried in the bones of indigenous women, which we bear forth with every birth o...
Mexico demands Spain apologize for colonial abuse of indigenous people
In letter to Spanish king, President Obrador cites massacres and oppression during conquest of Mexico.
Onondaga Nation Land Rights Complaint
The Onondaga People wish to bring about a healing between themselves and all others who live in this region that has been the homeland of the Onondaga Nation...
Saskatchewan Parks Utilize Doctrine of Discovery
Doctrine of Discovery at the heart of the Saskatchewan Parks Case.
2018
2014 Conference Photo Gallery
2014 conference photo gallery
Anglican Church of Canada Repudiates the Doctrine of Discovery
Anglican Church of Canada’s statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.
Doctrine of Christian Discovery: After Repudiation, What Next
Doctrine of Christian Discovery: After Repudiation, What Next? Conference May 24-25 2014 The Skä·noñh — Great Law of Peace Center.
A Episcopalian Sermon On Doctrine of Discovery
…the Doctrine of Discovery consists of the idea that Christians have a right sanctioned by God to take non-Christian lands and property and assert political ...
Dum Diversas
Papal Bull Dum Diversas 18 June, 1452
Episcopal Church Repudiates the Doctrine of Discovery
That the 76th General Convention repudiates and renounces the Doctrine of Discovery as fundamentally opposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our understand...
Episcopalian Remembrance, Recognition and Reconciliation
Before we judge the papal edicts too harshly, we need to know of the Anglican connection to this Doctrine of Discovery.
Haudenosaunee Democracy
Academics, attorneys and religious leaders from as far away as Chile gathered at this site sacred to members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to discuss the ...
Haudenosaunee Host Doctrine of Discovery Gathering
" I think it’s something that people don’t really understand," observes Betty Lyons, President and Director of the American Indian Law Alliance. &...
Haudenosaunee Statement on the Doctrine of Discovery
With the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the General Assembly of the United Nations, we finally took our place at the tabl...
If you don’t know treaties and sovereignty, you don’t know history
Reclaiming Native Truth’s research shows hope. For instance, it demonstrates that, when presented with a narrative that educates on the value of and values i...
Indigenous delegates ask Pope to repudiate Doctrine of Discovery
Indigenous delegates ask Pope to repudiate Doctrine of Discovery
Indigenous Statement to the Parliament of World’s Religions
An Indigenous Peoples’ Statement to the World Delivered at The Parliament of the World’s Religions Convened at Melbourne, Australia on the Traditional Lands ...
Nations Are Sovereign: They Are Not ‘Tribes’
Joseph Heath, General Counsel for the Onondaga Nation, explains why the Haudenosaunee reject the colonial term ‘tribe’ and insist on recognition as sovereign, independent Nations under international law.
News Article: Episcopal Church repudiates Doctrine of Discovery
In a first-of-its-kind action in the Christian world, the national Episcopal Church has passed a landmark resolution repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery an...
Ottawa v. Logan
the Indian tribes who have a right to those lands are quietly to enjoy them, hunting, planting and dwelling thereon so long as they please, without any moles...
Patent Granted by Henry VII to John Cabot
By this public document, Henry VII indicated his official, royal support for Cabot’s enterprise.
Presbyterian Church (USA) Repudiates the Doctrine of Discovery
A conversation on the doctrine of discovery will always entail a discussion of Native American or Indigenous lands. Moreover, because the doctrine has been a...
Quaker Indian Committee disavows Doctrine of Discovery, affirms Declaration
Inspired by the actions of the Episcopal Church, a Quaker group has disavowed the Christian Doctrine of Discovery and voiced its support for the United Natio...
Rejecting the Christian Doctrine of Discovery and Forging a New Relationship with North America’s Indigenous People
Pope Nicholas V first articulated the Doctrine of Discovery in the papal bull Dum Diversas in 1452. The Doctrine of Discovery consists of the idea that Chris...
Canadian Lawmakers call on Pope to Apologize
Read the Canadian lawmakers letter to the pope.
Quakers
Read the Quakers statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.
Requerimiento
Spanish conquistadors read this document, composed in 1510, to Indians of the new world. It briefly explains Spain’s assertion of its legal and moral right t...
Resources by Peter d’Errico
Replacing the Doctrine of Christian Discovery and Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People
Preliminary study of the impact on indigenous peoples of the international legal construct known as the Doctrine of Discovery
Preliminary study of the impact on indigenous peoples of the international legal construct known as the Doctrine of Discovery / submitted by the Special Rapp...
RNS article about the conference
The way Steven T. Newcomb describes the Doctrine of Discovery these days is ‘a claim of a right of Christian domination.’ It was first expressed by Pope Nich...
Roots of Peacemaking
2009 event archive ‘Roots of Peacemaking: Indigenous Values, Global Crisis’ is the first in an ongoing series of events that include conferences, cultural ex...
State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
It was also suggested the report be a key advocacy tool for raising awareness on indigenous peoples’ issues in general and in particular to raise the profile...
Statement on the Historical Use of the Doctrine of Christian Discovery by the United States Supreme Court Since 1823
The purpose of this paper is to review the history of the use of the Doctrine of Christian Discovery in United States Supreme Court decisions since 1823. It ...
Study Group
The Doctrine of Discovery has had profoundly negative impacts on Indigenous Peoples for the last 500+ years. Governments and various organizations have used ...
Taking on the Doctrine of Discovery, What are our Next Steps?
We will first to learn about the devastating impacts of the Doctrine of Discovery first hand from the Haudenosaunee, to understand its history, and then to s...
The Biblical Basis of Federal Indian Law Policy
As bizarre as it may seem, today’s federal definitions of Indian title and Indian nationhood find their basis in the Old Testament covenant tradition. This t...
The Bull Romanus Pontifex
The Bull Romanus Pontifex (Nicholas V) January 8, 1455
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ, the U.S and Canada) Repudiates the Doctrine of Discovery
That the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada, meeting, July 13-17, 2013, in Orlando, Florida, acce...
The Doctrine of Discovery, Unmasking The Domination Code
The first Christian people to locate lands inhabited by non-Christians (‘infidels, heathens, and savages’) claimed the right to assert a right of domination ...
Treaty of Tordesillas
The Treaty of Tordesillas was concluded on June 7 1494 to settle the contentious matter of the possession of the newly discovered lands of the non Christian ...
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations Repudiates the Doctrine of Discovery
A Unitarian Universalist Resolution To Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery, and Implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
United Church of Canada Repudiates the Doctrine of Discovery
We repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery, which asserted that lands belonged to the Christian powers that ‘discovered’ them.
United Church of Christ Repudiates the Doctrine of Discovery
Calling for the United Church of Christ to Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery Which Authorized the Genocide of Native Peoples and the Theft of Native Lands.
United Methodist Church Repudiates the Doctrine of Discovery
Trail of Repentance And Healing.
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 13 September 2007
‘United States Indian Law’ Panel
Resources from the ‘United States Indian Law Panel’ at the Taking on the Doctrine of Discovery, What are our Next Steps?
Videos
Films on the Doctrine of Discovery
World Council of Churches Repudiates the Doctrine of Discovery
WCC statement on the Doctrine of Discovery and its enduring impact on Indigenous Peoples.
Cayuga v. Pataki
We understand Sherrill to hold that equitable doctrines, such as laches, acquiescence, and impossibility, can in appropriate circumstances, be applied to Ind...
Fletcher v. Peck, 10 US 87 (1810)
What is Indian title? It is a mere occupancy for the purpose of hunting. It is not like our tenures, they have no idea of a title to the soil itself. It i...
Monroe Doctrine
Excerpts from President James Monroe’s seventh annual message to Congress, December 2, 1823.
Oneida Indian Nation v. County of Oneida
We have used the term “laches” here, as did the district court and this Court in Cayuga, as a convenient shorthand for the equitable principles at stake in t...
Onondaga Nation v. NY
This appeal is decided on the basis of the equitable bar on recovery of ancestral lands in Sherrill, and this Court’s cases of Cayuga and Oneida. Three speci...
Roosevelt Corollary
Roosevelt asserted that European nations should not intervene in countries to the south of the US, however under certain conditions, United States interventi...
TEE-HIT-TON
Every America schoolboy knows that the savage tribes of this continent were deprived of their ancestral ranges by force and that, even when the Indians ceded...
White v. Univ. of Cal.
Aboriginal interest in land generally is described as a tribe’s right to occupy the land.
Johnson v. M’Intosh
The Indians were admitted to be the rightful occupants of the soil, with a legal as well as just claim to retain possession of it, and to use it according to...
What is the Doctrine of Discovery?
Papal Bulls of the 15th century gave Christian explorers the right to claim lands they ‘discovered’ and lay claim to those lands for their Christian Monarchs...
The Ten Legal Dimensions of the Doctrine of Discovery: The International Law of Colonialism
Here are the 10 elements that I think constitute the Doctrine and are useful in analyzing and comparing how settler-colonizer societies have used this intern...
Native American Law in the Modern Era
Albany Government Law Review Volume 10 Issues 1&2 2016-2017
The Episcopal Church USA Statements on the Doctrine of Discovery
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori on the Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery
Friends General Conference Repudiates the Doctrine of Discovery
Minute on the Doctrine of Discovery, Approved July 25, 2012, New York Yearly Meeting Summer Sessions Silver Bay, New York
2016
DiCaprio and ‘The Revenant:’ Indigenous Wisdom and Human Survival
As we head into the Academy Awards this weekend, we should visit Leonardo DiCaprio’s acceptance speech at the Golden Globe Awards on 10 January, which conclu...
Christian Reformed Church
Read the Christian Reformed Church statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.
2015
My six nation Haudenosaunee passport is not a ‘fantasy document’
Front cover of Haudenosaunee passport. Photograph: Sid Hill
2012
The Evidence of Christian Nationalism in Federal Indian Law: The Doctrine of Discovery, Johnson v. McIntosh, and Plenary Power Permalink
Newcomb, Steven T. “The Evidence of Christian Nationalism in Federal Indian Law: The Doctrine of Discovery, Johnson v. McIntosh, and Plenary Power.” NYU Rev....
Stand for Human Rights for Indigenous Peoples and Renounce the ‘Doctrine of Discovery’
When the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues convenes on May 7th in New York, native peoples around the world will turn their eyes to the mos...
2006
Teaching “Native American Religions” in Central New York
When I began teaching at the University of Missouri in Columbia in 1990, the prevailing wisdom in the academy was to avoid teaching “Native American Religion...