'A long time coming': Saskatchewan’s look at the now-rejected Doctrine of Discovery
After demands stretched for years and years, the formally repudiated “Doctrine of Discovery,” has been officially rejected by the Vatican.
In Saskatchewan, the news spread quickly, with Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Chief Bobby Cameron calling it “a long time coming.”
“It gives us more solid, concrete evidence that the lands, waters and resources never belonged to the federal government, nor the provincial government — they belong to our First Nation people,” Cameron told CTV News Thursday morning.
A Vatican statement Thursday morning said the 15th-century papal bulls, or decrees, “did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of indigenous peoples” and have been rather considered expressions of the Catholic faith.
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Regina Donald Bolen said the Vatican had reversed its position back in 1537 after it received word how the Indigenous populations were suffering, were marginalized and oppressed.
“The Vatican stated strongly at that point, that Indigenous peoples have rights, whether they are Christian or not, have rights to their land, and should not be taken away. And so from the Church's perspective, these political statements have been revoked a long, long time ago — but we heard the request to make that very clear. I think that's what this statement does,” Bolen said.
So, what comes next?
Chief Cameron said there are multiple options FSIN will look towards, which will also include the opinions of individual nations themselves.
“Obviously, some of them are going to be [dealing with] lands and resources, and our animals as well … the fact that the archives and the artifacts are still in the Vatican, for those to be returned, and for those survivors who weren’t properly compensated, and even those who haven’t been compensated [to be compensated] … we’re going to continue to push,” said Cameron.
He said there were many emotions this morning, including tears throughout the FSIN Thursday.
“We have remained consistent, we have remained vocal in our position against the Vatican,” he said. “There were many that felt satisfaction … there were many that prayed, in the end, we’re going to continue to do what we can, to do anything we can, to support those survivors, descendants and all those families,” he said.
Looking to the future, Bolen explained the next steps for the Church.
“[To] really to work on a local level and build relations with First Nations communities. Trying to prove ourselves a trustworthy ally, listening deeply to their concerns and their needs and finding out where we can be an ally in that pursuit of justice,” the Archbishop said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.