In 2013, Dr. Debra Harry (Paiute Nation), Sharon Venne (Cree Nation) and I flew to Madrid, Spain. From there, Sharon drove us to Seville, Spain to visit the General Archives of the Indies. On our second day there we were given permission to see two of the original papal bulls from May of 1493. They
CategoryBiblical
The Claim of a Right of Christian Domination
What has been typically called “The Doctrine of Discovery” is, in my view, more accurately named “The Doctrine of Christian Domination.” The idea of “discovery” is only relevant in the sense of the monarchs of Christendom endeavoring to locate lands that were as yet unknown to the Christian world. Once lands matching that description were
Tecumseh Speech As Recounted by Simon Pokagon
Tecumseh’s Speech: The following is a speech by the great Shawnee leader Tecumseh, as recounted by the Pottawatomie leader, Chief Simon Pokagon. Simon Pokagon wrote: “My father and many others who listened to the speeches of Tecumseh many times repeated to me his words when I was a boy, but it was impossible to give
Research of the Doctrine of Christian Discovery
As a young Shawnee, Lenape person trying to gain a better understanding of history, I first learned about the doctrine of discovery when I was living in Southern California. I decided to read Vine Deloria’s book God is Red when it was published in 1972. I was nineteen or twenty years years old when I
When Our Native Nations Were Living Free and Independent of the Ideas of Christendom
Prior to Columbus’s invasive arrival to our part of Mother Earth, our nations of Great Turtle Island (“North America”) were living in a physical location that was entirely free and independent of the Western Christendom’s system of domination. At that time, our nations were still free and independent of all the ideas and mental activities
The Biblical Basis of federal Indian law & policy
I have often wondered why federal Indian law attorneys dare not mention the crusading tradition of the United States against “heathens” and “infidels,” namely, American Indian nations. The Western Shoshone Nation is directly challenging this tradition in court and in the U.S. Congress. Their challenge brings to light the strange and startling fact that U.S.