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.
Religious Moral Suasion and Material Support for the Environmental Justice Movement
The Environmental Justice (EJ) movement in the United States is comprised of diverse groups of people with a variety of environmental grievances and interests coming together to obtain equal distribution of pollution burdens across communities, reduce environmental hazards, and ensure fair enforcement of laws and policies meant to safeguard the environment for all. The 17 Principles of Environmental Justice developed in 1991 at the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit remains a touchstone document today
Sarah Nahar
Healing the Sacred: The Fight to Restore Onondaga Lake and Honor Indigenous Land
The Onondaga Nation is petitioning the Organization of American States (OAS) for land rights to Onondaga Lake, a notoriously polluted body of water in Central New York State. The Onondaga Nation is one of six nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (Iroquois), and Onondaga Lake is the sacred site where Gayanashagowa, the Great Law of Peace, was established. As Keepers of the Central Fire, the Onondaga Nation bears the responsibility of maintaining unity and peace within the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. This article examines the history of the lake, its significance to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the consequences of its desecration through industrial pollution. By juxtaposing Haudenosaunee teachings with the European Christian Doctrine of Discovery, we reveal how clashing worldviews led to violence, land theft, and genocide against the Haudenosaunee and other Indigenous Nations. Specifically, we apply Steven T. Newcomb’s Domination Code to analyze the settler-colonial justification for resource extraction, which left behind ecological and social devastation. We argue that returning Onondaga Lake to the Onondaga Nation is a vital step toward restoring this sacred place, bringing long-overdue healing to its people, the surrounding communities, and the natural world. The protection and restoration of Onondaga Lake is not only essential for its future but for the well-being of all. The restoration of Indigenous sacred spaces is a catalyst for meaningful social and ecological change.
Adam DJ Brett
Betty Hill (Lyons)
Before Religion
A poem is presented - It is a classic misinterpretation to refer to allNatives as always being in harmony withthemselves and their surroundings. As in, categorizing, denomination, caste, grade,order and grouping. With the above sentences in mind, I'll refer to only my people's past. We weren't always at peace or in harmony with ourselves and the earth. We struggled and fought with our own people. We suffered insult and reproach and turned toviolence in return for that insult and reproach.
Sawatis Frushell
Statement on the Doctrine of Discovery
The Episcopal Church's commitment to justice and equality is challenged by its historical complicity in the Doctrine of Discovery. The Episcopal Diocese of Central New York acknowledges its presence on unceded lands of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and seeks to repent for past injustices. Through dialogue and advocacy, the church aims to heal divisions and honor the dignity of all individuals. Refuting the Doctrine of Discovery is fundamental to the faith of TEC, despite past failures to fulfill vows. The diocese is actively working to amend its past complicity in injustice, recognizing the complexity and harm caused. The story of Rev. David Pendleton Oakerhater serves as a reminder of this complexity, as the church continues its work for justice and peace while praying for redemption.
Bishop Dede Duncan-Probe
