Still Living with the Doctrine of Discovery

4141 28th Avenue South,Fargo ND 58104

05 November, 2022

Description

We hope you will join us for an important event, helping people of faith to understand and repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery in a positive atmosphere of sharing and connecting across cultures. Special Guest Speakers includes Prairie Rose Seminole, Joseph McNeil and Darren Renville. Please see biographies below. What is the Doctrine of Discovery? A 500-year-old series of Christian edicts that violently deny the personhood of Indigenous peoples around the world. Why does it matter today? The Doctrine still influences public and religious policy, with the US Supreme Court citing it as recently as 2005. How can we participate? Each faith community is invited to bring a group of 5 or so people but if you are the only one to attend from your faith community you are welcome. Is there a fee to attend? If possible, we welcome donations of $100.00 from each faith community. Payment can be made through eventbrite or if you prefer to pay with a check please make payment the day of the event and make checks payable to Presentation Prayer Center, please note DOD event. How will the event be structured? Large group learning sessions, followed by small group reflection led by trained facilitators, to support participants to deepen their understanding in a safe and constructive environment. We respectfully request people attend the full day. Will lunch be provided? The Community Culinary Corps Project will provide a free lunch to all participants in attendance and will include a vegetarian and vegan option. Will there be a remote option? No remote option will be provided but we hope to record the event to share in the future. Registration deadline is November 1. Event contact information. Rev. Karen Van Fossan, [email protected], 701.202.2421 We hope you can join us! With gratitude, Doctrine of Discovery Event Planning Group; Darren Renville, Karen Van Fossan, Kelly Noack, Martin Avery, Scott Mathern -Jacobson and Vicki Schmidt Special Guest Speakers includes Prairie Rose Seminole, Joseph McNeil and Darren Renville. Please see biographies below. Prairie Rose Seminole Prairie Rose Seminole will speak about intergenerational trauma, resilience, and how to act with hope and courage to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery in your faith community. Seminole (Sahnish/Arikara, Northern Cheyenne) is currently engaged as the Indigenous Fellowship recipient with the National Parks Conservation Association. Along with this fellowship through 2024 she is involved with building Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion curriculum with Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, and Minnesota State University Moorhead. Seminole resides in and has been involved in the ND Political landscape for over 20 years and has served in appointed public office-- dedicated to building inclusive movements, shifting the balance of power to create real positive change for Indigenous peoples and communities. Seminole most recently served as the American Indian Alaska Native Program Director for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America serving American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Seminole continues to serve within the church as an educator and advocate deconstructing colonial systems of oppression and establishing restorative practices of building community. Joseph McNeil, Jr. McNeil will discuss the history of the Doctrine of Discovery and its impact on current policy and economics. McNeil believes the traumas that exist in history still exist today and we must learn the knowledge of our history to change policies with peaceful and disruptive action. McNeil is an enrolled member of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, General Manager of SAGE Develpoment Authority, President of Standing Rock Development Corp/Rock Industries Corp., and Chairman for the Oyate CDF/Credit Union in Fort Yates, ND. Awarded the Bush Fellowship for leadership in 2019 and the M.I.T. Oceti Sakowin Inaugural Fellowship in 2018, McNeil is active in Indigenous rights and community economic development. Darren Renville Renville will discuss the history of the Doctrine of Discovery and its current manifestations, its legal impact on policy, and how to repudiate it today. Renville believes we must be careful to recognize ongoing colonial harms and remedy them in culturally appropriate ways when we have the power to do so. Renville is a Dakota/Nakota (Assiniboine)/A'aninin (Gross Ventre) writer and scholar, and a citizen of the Sisseton Oyate based on Lake Traverse Reservation in northeastern South Dakota. He is a 2007 Bush Foundation Artist Fellow for literature, and his work was featured in the 2009 Mixed Blood Theatre production "Red Ink". A frequent lecturer on the subject of Native Americans in film and media, Renville has also completed a Master of Legal Studies in Indigenous Peoples Law at the University of Oklahoma.