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Maine Episcopalians decry Doctrine of Discovery

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Maine Episcopalians decry 'doctrine of discovery'

Posted: November 12, 2007
by: Gale Courey Toensing / Indian Country Today http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416100

BANGOR, Maine - In 1496, Henry VII, King of England, authorized John Cabot to sail to ''undiscovered'' non-Christian lands, subjugate their inhabitants, confiscate their resources and claim the land in the name of the English crown. More than 500 years later, a group of Christians are asking the current English monarch to renounce the ''doctrine of discovery'' that resulted in the genocide, colonization and dispossession of the indigenous peoples of the ''new world.''

Maine Episcopalians passed a resolution at their annual convention Oct. 26 calling for Queen Elizabeth and the Archbishop of Canterbury ''to disavow and rescind the claimed validity of the doctrine of discovery against all peoples, specifically as it is set forth in the 1496 Royal Charter granted to John Cabot and his sons by King Henry VII, and all other doctrines that have been relied thereon for the dispossession of lands and the subjugation of non-Christian peoples from their initial use to the present.''

The doctrine of discovery was a principle of international law developed in a series of 15th century papal bulls and 16th century charters by European monarchs. The doctrine essentially gave white Europeans the green light to go forth and claim the lands of non-Christian peoples and enslave their inhabitants - if other white Europeans had not already done so. The doctrine institutionalized the competition between European countries in their quest for colonies and resources.

In recent years, various tribal members and groups around the country have asked the pope to rescind the 15th century papal bulls, but Maine's Episcopal diocese is the first in the United States to make a similar request to the British monarchy and Church of England.

Henry's charter authorized Cabot and his sons and heirs to ''discover and investigate whatsoever islands, countries, regions or provinces of heathens and infidels, in whatsoever part of the world placed, which before this time were unknown to all Christians.''

While converting the ''heathens and infidels'' to Christianity was part of the plan, the enterprise was mostly a business deal. Once discovered, Cabot could then ''conquer, occupy and possess'' the lands and expropriate ''all the fruits, profits, emoluments, commodities, gains and revenues.'' Cabot would deduct his expenses from the gross revenues, pay Henry one-fifth of the net profits, and keep the rest. As an extra incentive, Cabot could conduct his import/export business tax-free.

The Episcopalian resolution was presented to the convention by the church's Committee on Indian Relations, a group that formed in the early 1990s to support the state's four Native tribes. The 22-member committee includes six members of the Penobscot Indian Nation.

The resolution also requires that a similar resolution is submitted to the church's General Convention in 2009 for its consideration, according to the church Web site.

John Dieffenbacher-Krall, a member of the Committee on Indian Relations and the executive director of the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission, brought the resolution forward to the convention. ''As an Episcopalian, I believe our church should acknowledge its role in perpetuating and acceptance of this morally repugnant doctrine of discovery. The doctrine of discovery gave European nations moral cover to invade the Western Hemisphere and commit unspeakable acts,'' Dieffenbacher-Krall said.

While he does not want the church ''to wallow in guilt,'' he said he was concern

Comments

This led to the heart of the colonialist era and the Mercantile economic system that evolved during that period. it was based on the asumption that there was a limited amount of resources and the measurement of a countries wealth (only European colonial powers rated in this measurement) was measured by the amount of gold bullion they possessed and could accumulate. Trade was the only way to increase a countries wealth and trade was only done between Colonial Powers and their Colonies. Trade was carried on exclusively for the aggrandizement and benifit of the colonizers resulting in the exploitation of the colonies. This belief that resources were limited led to a frenzy of trading, stealing, piroting, hording, stockpilling etc.

These are some political and econmic ramifications of these laws. The religous ethical and moral consequences are also very significant.

Does this not strike at the heart of Evangelicalism, ie the duty to propagote one's faith?

Did Jesus not say to his deciples 'Go Forth to all Nations spreading the Good News?'

I noted that Wiki does not have an entry for "Doctrine of Discovery" d

Posted by: Dan Froese

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