The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council is calling on the Government of Canada to acknowledge the papal repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery and take steps to remove any laws from its books that use the doctrine.

The call comes after the Vatican, through Pope Francis, officially repudiated or rejected the centuries-old Doctrine of Discovery on March 30. The doctrine, backed by 15th-century B次元官网网址減apal bulls,B次元官网网址� legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Indigenous lands.

A B次元官网网址減apal bullB次元官网网址� is an edict or order issued by a pope. The term dates back to the Middle Ages when the Catholic Church held similar political power as a government.

The Doctrine of Discovery, according to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, is a B次元官网网址渓egal and religious concept that has been used for centuries to justify Christian colonial conquest.B次元官网网址� This document supported the idea that European peoples and culture were superior to all others, and formed the basis of exploration around the world. The document forms the basis of some present-day property law.

B次元官网网址淔irst Nations have been around since time immemorial and so this doctrine was required to B次元官网网址榣egallyB次元官网网址� take our lands and resources for the colonizer on the pretext that no one was thereB次元官网网址攖he lands were barrenB次元官网网址攁s First Nations people were not B次元官网网址榗ivilized,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council wrote in a statement.

B次元官网网址淭his doctrine has been detrimental to the development of our peoples, taking away our most valuable lands and resources, destroying our most sacred places, limiting our right to hunt, fish, trap, gather and right to a livelihood,B次元官网网址� NTC president Judith Sayers said.

B次元官网网址淭he fact is that we have had to prove our title which was already ours, while the Canadian government denies our rights to our own lands. The courts have had to rely on the laws based on the Doctrine of Discovery in any rulings on ownership to land,B次元官网网址� she added. B次元官网网址淭his now has to change as of today. The damage of this doctrine on our lives cannot be valued as it is in massive proportions.B次元官网网址�

Sayers said revocation of laws or policies that use the doctrine must include mandates to negotiate treaties B次元官网网址渁nd all other forms of agreements.B次元官网网址�

She also said Canadian and provincial governments must re-examine court cases to reform any arguments to the court that relied on the Doctrine of Discovery.

The VaticanB次元官网网址檚 announcement follows last yearB次元官网网址檚 apology to CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Indigenous Peoples made by Pope Francis for the Catholic ChurchB次元官网网址檚 role in the horrors of the residential school system.

The VaticanB次元官网网址檚 formal rejection of the doctrine B次元官网网址渋s an important step as we move forward to break down and reverse the colonial systems that were imposed on First Nations,B次元官网网址� BC Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee said.

susie.quinn@albernivalleynews.com
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