Amid Pope Francis' 'penitential' journey in Canada, Indigenous people and advocates are calling for the repudiation of the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' a centuries-old policy they say is responsible for colonial and systematic injustices.
by the AFN, titled "Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery," the church maxim "emanates from a series of Papal Bulls and extensions, originating in the 1400s. [It] was used as legal and moral justification for colonial dispossession of sovereign Indigenous Nations, including First Nations in what is now Canada." -- a Vancouver-based law firm dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of Indigenous people across Canada -- told CTVNews.
Gunn added that, "so many of the issues that we see with Indigenous people today are a result of [the doctrine]." , a training organization that guides professional relationships between businesses and Indigenous people in North America, there is one major reason the Doctrine of Discovery continues to impact First Nations communities: it has neverbeen officially renounced by the head of the Catholic Church.
, referring to the trauma of residential schools and the criminalization of Indigenous customs during the Indian Act. the Doctrine "legitimizes the continuing suppression of indigenous communities and culture" and "makes the co-stewardship of nature and natural resources by indigenous peoples impossible during a time when development is diminishing biodiversity and contributing to climate change.
"We are optimistic that the Holy Father will take the next step and apologize to all Indigenous peoples," AFN wrote on theirGunn thinks Pope Francis could use his visit to Canada for an important first step -- acknowledgement.
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