A film by Gwendolen Cates
Original soundtrack by Pura Fé
The Doctrine of Discovery is the term for 15th-century decrees issued by the Vatican that authorized conquest and colonization, codified racism and slavery, became international law, and were enshrined in U.S. law in 1823.
The film follows a group of Indigenous teenagers from Minneapolis/St. Paul who travel to Rome to meet with Vatican officials and advocate for the repudiation of the Doctrine.
Also featured are Indigenous activists in Aotearoa New Zealand, Guatemala, New Caledonia, and Puerto Rico. The film exposes how the Doctrine of Discovery has targeted communities of color, was the origin of the transatlantic slave trade, and enables corporate forces driving the climate crisis.
Nina Berglund (Northern Cheyenne/Lakota) was the first Indigenous youth to see the original papal bulls in the Portuguese National Archives.
Northern Cheyenne/Lakota youth climate activist Nina Berglund in Lisbon, Portugal
Maori advocate Tina Ngata protesting in Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Mayan attorney Juan Castro (left) filing a case with associates in Guatemala City
In 2018, a group of Indigenous teenagers, members of the Indigenous Youth Ceremonial Mentoring Society founded in the Twin Cities by longtime activist and educator Mitch Walking Elk, learned about the Doctrine of Discovery.
They decided to request a meeting at the Vatican, becoming the first Indigenous youth to meet with Vatican officials about the Doctrine. They follow in the footsteps of Indigenous leaders who have been advocating for the repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery for decades.
While Indigenous Peoples are less than 5% of the global population, 80% of the remaining biodiversity on our planet is in Indigenous territories and thus under their stewardship.
Indigenous youth and Haudenosaunee delegations before the Vatican meeting in Rome, Italy.
Pura Fé and Gwendolen on location in Borikén (Puerto Rico)
Nina Berglund and archivist Fátima Ó Ramos.
Taino activists Bajacú Mautiatihuel, Pluma Bárbara Moreno, and Lacy with Pura Fé (Tuscarora/Taino)