Outcome Documents for
200 Years of Johnson v. M’Intosh (JvM): Indigenous Responses to the Religious Foundations of Racism
This website is the official archive of the outcome publications from the Henry J. Luce Foundation Grant Funded project “200 Years of Johnson v. M’Intosh (JvM): Indigenous Responses to the Religious Foundations of Racism". Professor Philip P. Arnold was the PI on this project which ran from 2022-2024. Project activities included a conference, podcasts, and various types of publications.
Summary
“200 Years of Johnson v. M’Intosh (JvM): Indigenous Responses to the Religious Foundations of Racism,” is 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.
The 200th anniversary of JvM provides an excellent moment to challenge the theology and jurisprudence of DOCD and this critical Supreme Court decision. The project will deliver a range of digital products and written works combined with a host of public outreach activities to raise awareness about the harmful impacts of the DOCD and provide support for a global movement of Indigenous People’s that seek to repudiate it.
Cultivating a G.R.A.C.E. Mindset: Adaptive Leadership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America acknowledges and repents for its complicity in the harms of colonialism towards Native American and Alaska Native peoples. The church commits to undoing the ongoing evils of the Doctrine of Discovery and building right relationships with indigenous nations. The Upstate New York Synod confesses and repents for its complicity in the harm done to indigenous peoples and strives to strengthen anti-oppression efforts for justice and equity.
Rev Lee M. Miller II
Joint Statement Of The Dicasteries For Culture And Education And For Promoting Integral Human Development On The "Doctrine Of Discovery"
The Catholic Church strives to promote universal fraternity and respect for the dignity of every human being, condemning acts of violence, oppression, and social injustice. While acknowledging past wrongs committed against indigenous peoples, the Church is committed to reconciliation, healing, and promoting the rights and cultural values of all individuals. The Church rejects the concept of the "doctrine of discovery" and upholds the inherent human rights of indigenous peoples, supporting principles outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Holy See Press Office
The Roots of Christian Nationalism Go Back Further Than You Think
The term "white Christian nationalism" has emerged in recent years to describe a worldview that has become central to the contemporary Republican Party. This ideology has deep roots in the Doctrine of Discovery, a series of papal bulls from the fifteenth century that claimed European civilization and Christianity were superior to all other cultures. This doctrine provided the moral and religious justification for European colonial conquest and the African slave trade. The contemporary white Christian nationalist movement is a continuation of this cultural stream that has run through America since the arrival of Europeans five centuries ago. To move forward, white Christians must confront their role in benefiting from this legacy of oppression and work towards repairing the damage done.
Robert P. Jones
DEAR AUTOCRAT(S)
A poem is presented - 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 Foreseen long before your arrival Because we had established equivalent equity Millennium prior to your pilgrimage of biblical conquest And your utopian misunderstanding of our communities And your fear of the unknown
Sawatis Frushell
