Sarah Augustine

No history. No identity.

From “The Land is Not Empty: Following Jesus in Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery” by Sarah Augustine My lineage is similar to Indigenous People throughout the Americas. My mother’s people are originally from southern Colorado, a people twice colonized: first by the Spanish, then by the northern Europeans. Although not one of her relatives can …

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Bad Indian

From “The Land is Not Empty: Following Jesus in Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery” by Sarah Augustine I am a Bad Indian. As in suspect. I’m not registered or enrolled, for one thing. This matters especially to the enrolled, as though Indigeneity must be blessed by the federal government before it counts. I am also …

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Defined out of existence

From “The Land is Not Empty: Following Jesus in Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery” by Sarah Augustine Those who belonged to tribes denied federal recognition were defined out of existence, since “real Indians” are issued a card and assigned a number. Outside their history, language, and relationship to a homeland, Indigenous People who have not …

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The Doctrine of Discovery

From “The Land is Not Empty: Following Jesus in Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery” by Sarah Augustine The Doctrine of Discovery may sound like something from the past, a discrete historical event from back when Christians didn’t “know better.” Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. The Doctrine of Discovery formed the deep structure …

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Terra nullius

Suriname’s policy toward Indigenous Peoples did not originate in this small region. It is based on the principles defined by terra nullius, a Latin phrase meaning “empty land,” a theological and legal doctrine that gave land title to Christian European states who would assume sovereignty over “discovered lands.” Under terra nullius, “discovered” lands were considered …

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