Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery

The Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery podcast, hosted by Philip P. Arnold and Sandy Bigtree (Mohawk Nation), critically examines the historical and ongoing impacts of the Doctrine of Christian Discovery. Rooted in 15th-century papal edicts, this doctrine provided theological and legal justification for European colonialism, the seizure of Indigenous lands, and the subjugation of non-Christian peoples. The podcast explores how these principles became codified in U.S. law, from Johnson v. M’Intosh (1823) to Sherrill v. Oneida (2005), and continue to underpin contemporary legal, religious, and corporate frameworks. Featuring discussions with scholars, legal experts, and Indigenous leaders, the series sheds light on how this doctrine fuels environmental destruction, economic exploitation, and cultural genocide while also highlighting Indigenous resistance and calls for justice, land restoration, and the repudiation of these colonial structures.

This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en.

Learn more: podcast.doctrineofdiscovery.org.

Guest

Natalie Avalos

Natalie Avalos is as an Assistant Professor in the of Ethnic Studies Department at the University of Colorado Boulder. She received her doctorate from the University of California at Santa Barbara in Religious Studies (2015) with a special focus on Native American and Indigenous Religious Traditions and Tibetan Buddhism. Dr. Avalos is an ethnographer of religion whose whose research and teaching focus on comparative Indigeneities, urban Indigenous and Tibetan refugee religious life, decolonial praxis, and healing historical trauma

https://natalieavalos.wordpress.com/

Guest appearance on:

S06E09: The Legacy of Charles H. Long Part 2: How & Why White Supremacy Persists