“Unspoken Conspiracy”
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“Unspoken Conspiracy” Living within the Resonance of the Doctrine of Discovery May-Lisbeth Brew M.A. Thesis (60 Credits), History of Religions REL 4990 Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages UNIVERSITY OF OSLO Fall 2014 “Unspoken Conspiracy” Living within the Resonance of the Doctrine of Discovery May-Lisbeth Brew M.A Thesis (60 Credit), History of Religions REL 4990 Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages UNIVERSITY OF OSLO Fall 2014 © May-Lisbeth Brew 2014 “Unspoken Conspiracy”: Living within the Resonance of the Doctrine of Discovery May-Lisbeth Brew http://www.duo.uio.no Trykk: Reprosentralen, Universitetet i Oslo # # Abstract This thesis analyze the perceptions of the Doctrine of Discovery, a religious principle incorporated into law during the “Age of Discovery” among people within religious organizations and traditional indigenous peoples in, what is today known, as the United States of America. The Doctrine of Discovery originated from 15th century papal bulls, and the directive from the Vatican in the papal bull Dum Diversas was that the Christian duty of explorers (sent out by their Christian Monarchs) was to “invade, search out, capture, vanquish and subdue” all non-Christians wherever placed. While the Doctrine of Discovery´s presence in courts has been documented by research there has not been much investigation on what the perceptions of the effects of this doctrine is in todays world. The thesis begins with a summary of the worldview behind and the principles set forth in the papal bulls known as Dum Diversas (18 June, 1452), Romanus Pontifex (January 8, 1454) and Inter Caetera (May 4, 1493) as well as the historic background for these papal bulls. It thereafter continues to investigate how the doctrine is perceived among people working with the theme within religious organizations and among traditional indigenous peoples in, what is today known as, the United States. The different perceptions of the effects of the doctrine rests in different worldviews, especially the different ways traditional indigenous and peoples within religious organizations conceive of land. The effect is that people within religious organizations tends to view the Doctrine of Discovery as a doctrine diminishing indigenous peoples human rights, and rights of sovereignty and self determination while the effects seen by traditional indigenous peoples also see the doctrine as diminishing the rights of the environment itself, which is perceived as a living entity with intrinsic value. This difference in perception of the consequences of the Doctrine of Discovery therefore highlights the way religious worldviews have confronted each other in the meeting between “the old world” and “the new world”, and how these differences is still present today. # Acknowledgements This thesis could not have been written if it were not for all the people who took time from their schedules to meet and to talk with me while I was conducting interviews. I am forever grateful for the time and your willingness to share your knowledge and thoughts with me – without you; there would have been no thesis. Secondly, I would like to thank my supervisor Koen Wellens for agreeing to supervise this thesis and for your valuable perspectives and input. I would like to express my deep gratitude towards Philip Arnold, my co-supervisor, without your dedication, feedback, assistance and careful readings; this thesis would be less than it is today. I would also like to thank Sandra Bigtree, for opening your home, giving refuge to a tired Norwegian student in a foreign land and showing me a good time. Thank you. I would like to give a special thanks to Steven Newcomb, for taking the time to provide me with documents and input, and Lars Kirkhusmo Pharo, who was the one to initially sparked my interest in the theme of the Doctrine of Discovery and has been a great resource while I have been working on this thesis. I am forever grateful of the insightful conversations we have had. I want to thank Robert Michael Ruehl for proof-reading my thesis and getting rid of many of my grammatical mistakes, anyone still standing is of course due to my own limitations. I would like to thank Harald Bergland and Eva Larsen for their continued support and for giving me valuable feedback, together with Ann Jordal and John Brew for watching the dog while I was away on my field research. Mari, Christine and Idun: thank you for putting up with me the last year and contributing to the thesis in your different ways. I would also like to thank Mary Gilbert for shipping my forgotten shirts all the way back to Norway. Last, but not least Aksel, I do not know how to express my gratitude; I would not have managed without you, and you know it. I cannot wait to have a tea. Earl Grey. Hot. With you. # # Table of Contents cc FDG)FGD1A2F41!41E5Ecccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc ! 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