
On October 14th, Columbus Day is celebrated in the US, the day where we have historically taken note of this man's "achievements" in traversing the wild seas and entering into new, "undiscovered" lands. The fact that these lands had historically been occupied by ancient peoples for thousands of years did not concern our stalwart explorers as they believed they had the "Divine Right" to subdue, degrade, murder and treat worse than the beasts the Indigenous peoples who lived there.
This mission of subjugation was sanctioned by the Catholic Church in a "Doctrine of Discovery" issued by Pope Nicholas V to King Alfonso of Portugal in 1452 and by Pope Alexander VI to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain in 1493, a year after they wiped out the remnants of Moorish rule in Granada. In a nutshell, and taking great editorial license, the popes commissioned these kings and queens to treat the people they occupied as the savages and barbarians they believed them to be, and that while ravaging their lands and stealing their wealth they were to convert them to the love of Jesus Christ.
Incredibly, this doctrine remained law for over 500 years and gave license to not only Spain and Portugal, but also England, France and the Netherlands to occupy lands and treat the inhabitants, those who had not "been saved", without impunity and without mercy, as their centuries-old traditions and ways of life were completely destroyed.
In Nova Scotia, the M'ikmaq are still reeling from the degradation of their culture and spirit.
Indeed, this sorrow is evident throughout the Indigenous world.
This mission of subjugation was sanctioned by the Catholic Church in a "Doctrine of Discovery" issued by Pope Nicholas V to King Alfonso of Portugal in 1452 and by Pope Alexander VI to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain in 1493, a year after they wiped out the remnants of Moorish rule in Granada. In a nutshell, and taking great editorial license, the popes commissioned these kings and queens to treat the people they occupied as the savages and barbarians they believed them to be, and that while ravaging their lands and stealing their wealth they were to convert them to the love of Jesus Christ.
Incredibly, this doctrine remained law for over 500 years and gave license to not only Spain and Portugal, but also England, France and the Netherlands to occupy lands and treat the inhabitants, those who had not "been saved", without impunity and without mercy, as their centuries-old traditions and ways of life were completely destroyed.
In Nova Scotia, the M'ikmaq are still reeling from the degradation of their culture and spirit.
Indeed, this sorrow is evident throughout the Indigenous world.