How the Doctrine of Discovery & Domination is at Work Today
Developed by Call To Action’s Indigenous Solidarity Collective, this explainer explores our role as Catholics in both shaping and dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery. If you’re new to the difficult yet necessary work of justice and reconciliation for Indigenous Peoples, we hope you’ll find this interactive resource useful for your communities or for personal use.
A Call To Action working group established in 2022, the Indigenous Solidarity Collective addresses the Catholic Church’s historical and current role in colonialization. Goals include educating Catholics about the importance of collective responsibility for violence against Indigenous Peoples; lobbying the hierarchy and political leaders; and building relationships with Indigenous groups so that we may be in solidarity with their activism and leadership.
A New Resource for Your Community
Call To Action’s Indigenous Solidarity Collective designed this explainer on the Doctrine of Discovery and Domination to pair with books and films from Indigenous authors and advocates, including Steven Newcomb’s The Doctrine of Discovery: Unmasking the Domination Code.
This interactive explainer includes an overview of the papal bulls and theologies that shaped the Doctrine of Discovery and Domination; how these systems continue to cause harm in Indigenous communities; the next steps Catholics can take; and questions and resources for reflection and contemplation.
This Doctrine of Discovery and Domination explainer includes a list of resources. If you would like to contribute to this list, please contact Christopher at christopher@cta-usa.org.
To join the Indigenous Solidarity Collective working group, please email indigenous-solidarity@cta-usa.org.