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Doctrine of Discovery




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Doctrine of Discovery, so many actions taken that set the foundation for those coming to our land and after they arrived to do away with us, I hope this article will open the door to your understanding for the foundation of Christianity that spread across our country and tribal communities, these past months we have heard this phrase, seen it on social media, perhaps in a class you took or know about it was the foundation of destroying many cultures. Our relatives in Canada have asked the Pope to rescind or abolish this document and recently the National Congress of American Indians passed a resolution for the Pope to denounce the 1493 Papal Bull. I have gleaned from many sources definitions and hope you can understand that the foundation of erasing us began long ago in a land far across the Atlantic Ocean.

The Doctrine of Discovery established a spiritual, political, and legal justification for colonization and seizure of land not inhabited by Christians. Foundational elements of the Doctrine of Discovery can be found in a series of papal bulls, or decrees, issued by the Catholic Church and Pope beginning in the 1100s, which included sanctions, enforcements, authorizations, expulsions, admonishments, excommunications, denunciations, and expressions of territorial sovereignty for Christian monarchs supported by the Catholic Church. Two papal bulls, in particular, stand out: (1) Pope Nicholas V issued “Romanus Pontifex” in 1455, granting the Portuguese a monopoly of trade with Africa and authorizing the enslavement of local people; (2) Pope Alexander VI issued the Papal Bull “Inter Caetera” in 1493 to justify Christian European explorer claims on land and waterways they allegedly discovered, and promote Christian domination and superiority, and has been applied in Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Americas. If an explorer proclaims to have discovered the land in the name of a Christian European monarch, plants a flag in its soil, and reports his “discovery” to the European rulers and returns to occupy it, the land is now his, even if someone else was there first. Should the original occupants insist on claiming that the land is theirs, the “discoverer” can label the occupants’ way of being on the land inadequate according to European standards. This ideology supported the dehumanization of those living on the land and their dispossession, murder, and forced assimilation. The Doctrine fueled white supremacy insofar as white European settlers claimed they were instruments of divine design and possessed cultural superiority. The significance of the Doctrine continues to be debated. The Doctrine of Discovery was the inspiration in the 1800s for the Monroe Doctrine, which declared U.S. hegemony over the Western Hemisphere, and Manifest Destiny, which justified American expansion westward by propagating the belief that the U.S. was destined to control all land from the Atlantic to the Pacific and beyond.

In an 1823 Supreme Court case, Johnson v. M’Intosh, the Doctrine of Discovery became part of U.S. federal law and was used to dispossess Native peoples of their land. In a unanimous decision, Chief Justice John Marshall writes, “that the principle of discovery gave European nations an absolute right to New World lands” and Native peoples certain rights of occupancy. Excerpt from “Inter Caetera,” a Papal Bull (decree) sent from Pope Alexander VI to the king and queen of Spain on May 4, 1493 “Alexander, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to the illustrious sovereigns, our very dear son in Christ, Ferdinand, king, and our very dear daughter in Christ, Isabella, queen…. Among other works well pleasing to the Divine Majesty and cherished of our heart, this assuredly ranks highest, that in our times especially the Catholic faith and the Christian religion be exalted and be everywhere increased and spread. We have indeed learned that you, who for a long time had intended to seek out and discover certain islands and mainland’s remote and unknown … chose our beloved son, Christopher Columbus … whom you furnished with ships and men equipped for like designs, not without the greatest hardships, dangers, and expenses, to make diligent quest … and they at length, with divine aid and with the utmost diligence … discovered certain very remote islands and even mainland’s that hitherto had not been discovered by others; wherein dwell very many peoples living in peace, and, as reported, going unclothed, and not eating flesh. Moreover … these very peoples … seem sufficiently disposed to embrace the Catholic faith and be trained in good morals. And, in order that you may enter upon so great an undertaking with greater readiness and heartiness endowed with the benefit of our apostolic favor, we … give, grant, and assign to you and your heirs and successors … all their [Native peoples’] dominions, cities, camps, places, and villages, and all rights, jurisdictions, and appurtenances, all islands and mainland’s found and to be found, discovered and to be discovered. We trust in Him from whom empires and governments and all good things proceed, that, should you, with the Lord’s guidance, pursue this holy and praiseworthy undertaking, in a short while your hardships and endeavors will attain the most felicitous result, to the happiness and glory of all Christendom…. Given at Rome, at St. Peter’s, in the year of the incarnation of our Lord one thousand four hundred and ninety three, the fourth of May, and the first year of our pontificate. Gratis by order of our most holy lord, the pope. Alexander VI “we” and “our” refers to the Pope and Catholic Church, while “you” refers to the king and queen and rest of the monarchy.

The Doctrine was developed by European, Christian countries to control non- European countries and was used as a justification for the domination of non-Christian, non-European peoples…. The Doctrine of Discovery was the international law under which America was explored and was the legal authority the English Crown used to establish its colonies in America. Abandonment of the flawed concept of the doctrine of discovery … would be a significant first step in reformulating federal Indian policy.

Do as our relatives in Canada are doing, Rescind, Remove, Abolish the Papal Bull of 1493, the damage and pain for many tribal communities in the America’s for the past 529 years cannot be erased, however the descendants of those hurt the most in many ways are still here, yes, we are still here, speaking our languages, singing our songs, strengthening ceremonies, and some have a land base.

And if you are reading this, share it with others, its part of a history long hidden. I can remember many years ago when I learned of this and wondered why it took so long for me to discover this and sad for my parents and grandparents did not know this, however it was important for me to share today in this article for and understanding as many cultures, languages, lifeways, spiritualty were destroyed along with many lives. I am not asking you to give up your church, beliefs, just a brief history lesson on the foundation of Christianity in America and tribal land. Please Google for yourself, using Doctrine of Discovery, Inter Cantera 1493 and share with others.

LeMiye, Mato Can’ali Winyan

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