TELL CANADA: DITCH THE DOCTRINE!
Pledge your support and help us call on Canada to publicly repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery.
"We call on Canada to enact the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to Action 49, and repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery. Racist concepts, used to justify European sovereignty over Indigenous lands and Peoples, have no place in a pluralistic society committed to reconciliation.
In rejecting the Doctrine of Discovery on March 30, 2023, the Vatican stated such decrees “did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples" and have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith.
We urge Canada to issue a public repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery in the strongest possible terms. The white supremacist, genocidal intent of the Doctrine is a smear on Canadian identity, law, and politics."
The Doctrine of Discovery has been used to justify the colonization and killing of Indigenous Peoples. Issued by the Pope in the 1400’s, the Doctrine was based on the assumption that Christians were superior, and that Indigenous Peoples were less-than-human. This racist ideology remains embedded in Canada's constitution, and forms the basis for colonial jurisdiction over lands and waters today. The Doctrine of Discovery continues to harm Indigenous-settler relationships, affecting how Indigenous Peoples can govern, and use their land.
The Vatican, who were the original authors of the Doctrine, repudiated it in March 2023. Canada? We’re still waiting. Despite its deadly consequences on Indigenous Nations, the Doctrine continues to influence how we govern the lands and waters of “our home on Native land”.
