The UUA and theDoctrine of Discovery

Rev. Dr. Michael Tino

Metro NY District Meeting

April 2012

Chalice Lighting

  What words tell the truth? What balms heal? What proverbs kindle the fires and passion of joy? What spirituality stirs the hunger for justice? We seek answers to these questions—not only for ourselves, but for our communities and our society. What are the ways of being with one another that enable life to flourish, rich with meaning? When violence has fractured communities, isolated people, and broken hearts, how can life be repaired? We ask these questions not to arrive at final answers, but because asking them is fundamental to living.

-The Rev. Rita Nakashima Brock and the Rev. Rebecca Ann Parker

Workshop Objectives

Participants will:• Learn the history and modern-day consequences of

the Doctrine of Discovery• Examine the Doctrine of Discovery from the

perspective of an indigenous leader who is one of the UUA’s partners in Arizona

• Consider the Doctrine of Discovery through the lens of Unitarian Universalist theology

• Learn where to find resources to engage your congregations in discussion about the Doctrine of Discovery

The Doctrine of Discovery: Early History

• 15th century Papal Doctrine that provided the theological justification for European imperialism, slavery and genocide

• Pope Alexander VI in 1492• Non-Christian peoples had no rights to their land or

person once “discovered” by Europeans• 1496: Henry VII, King of England, extends the doctrine

to cover lands “discovered” by explorers under the English crown in North America

The Doctrine of Discovery in the US

• 1823: Johnson v M’Intosh• Doctrine of Discovery used to abrogate treaties with

Native American nations and to justify genocide, forced relocation, and other human rights abuses

• 1955: Tee Hit Ton Indians v The United States• 2005: City of Sherrill v Oneida Indian Nation of New

York• Federal court decisions continue to recognize the

Doctrine of Discovery as US law, as recently as 2010.

The Doctrine of Discovery: In Practice

• The rights of Native American nations to their land are disputed by the US government

• The idea of “reservations” for native peoples is directly connected to the Doctrine of Discovery

• Loss of indigenous languages and cultures have been directly traced to policies justified by the Doctrine of Discovery, including forced removal of Native children to boarding schools

• National boundaries, including the US-Mexico border, have been drawn through the traditional territories of the indigenous peoples of North America

Tupac Enrique Acosta of Tonatierra

The DOD and SB1070 in Arizona

“The purpose of SB1070 was to consolidate the perceptions of some white Americans around the idea of an America that is white in a continent that belongs to them.”

–Tupac Enrique Acosta to the Rev. Colin Bossen

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

• Overwhelmingly passed in 2007 by the United Nations• Repudiates the Doctrine of Discovery• Calls upon the nations of the world to respect land

claims of indigenous peoples and to honor treaties made with indigenous peoples

• Recognizes the right of indigenous peoples to migrate in their own lands

• In the US, would call upon our government to engage in the process of rebuilding right relationship with Native American nations

UU Theologies and the DOD

From the report of the UUA Board:• Unitarian Universalist dedication to equality and justice• Theology of truth-telling• Theology of mutuality and equality rather than of

privilege and dominance• Respect for the interdependent web of existence calls

us to non-exploitative relationships• Theologies that value right relationship and

reconciliation

Repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery

• Requested by our partners in Arizona• Called for by the UUA Board• On the agenda for GA 2012• Action: Ask the United States to fully implement the

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People• BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that we call upon the United States to

fully implement the standards of the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in U.S. law and policy without qualifications.  In doing so, we support the establishment of commissions that include accountable representatives of American Indian nations.

Concluding Thoughts

• How does your theology and your Unitarian Universalist faith guide your response to the narrative of the Doctrine of Discovery?

• How might your congregation engage with this issue?• What are the next steps if this resolution passes?

Closing Words

Empowerment comes from ideas—our revolution is fought with concepts, not with guns, and is fueled by vision. By focusing on what we want to happen we change the present. The healing images and narratives we imagine will eventually materialize.

-Gloria Anzaldúa