Taking of Native lands. There are many excellent videos to help us to understand how fundamental Christian doctrines and beliefs about Indigenous peoples have served as the foundation on which colonization was built – along with chattel slavery, anti-semitism, and fear of immigrants and others who are different.

Here are five excellent short YouTube videos on this subject. We strongly recommend that you take the time, if possible, to watch one or two of these videos to help understand the roots of has been done to the Indigenous peoples of the Americas.

Other more detailed videos on the subject of decolonizing faith and the taking of Native lands:

  • Mother Earth’s Pandemic: Doctrine of Discovery. This is the YouTube channel of Indigenous Values Initiative and includes individual segments on all presentations at this 2020 course.
  • Doctrine of Discovery  from Mennonite Church (49 mins)
  • Commentary by Steven Newcomb  on “Doctrine of Discovery: The Domination Code” film (59 mins)
    (see 400 Years: Films page for info on the full Steve Newcomb documentary film)

Taking of cultures. Indian boarding schools and foster care programs were often systematically used to try and extinguish Native languages, cultural practices, kinship bonds, and sense of Native identity on the principle “Kill the Indian to save the man.” (see 400 Years: Films page for info on the film “Dawnland”)

Thanksgiving. Hearing Indigenous perspectives about the holiday and why many Native people have considered this day a National Day of Mourning.

400 Years Program – broadcast live on October 18, 2020

Full program