Progress is another word for domination

Progress is another word for domination

This is the second of four films with Tiokasin Ghosthorse that comprise a long-form seminar he led entitled Re-Languaging Regeneration. In the series, Tiokasin examines the deep roots of colonialism in the domination paradigm built into the very structure and thoughtforms of English, via its inheritance of Latin, and expressed, among other things, through the Doctrine of Discovery in The Papal Bull “Inter Caetera,” issued on May 4, 1493 (see below), granting Christian kings right and title to all the lands of the world not then Catholic, a document that established the subsequent doctrinal and legal foundation for colonialism and the 'moral' framework for viewing non-christians as sub-human, and therefore targets for conversion and domination.

Tiokasin approaches this inquiry from the perspective of the Lakhota, a tribal confederation that was among the principal Indigenous powers of the New World, who for hundreds of thousands of years* has occupied the central plains of what is now the United States and Canada. Tiokasin describes the Lakhota language as a "non-mathematical quantum mechanical language of intuition," and asserts that it is not possible to speak Lakota without intuition. Unlike the language of Latin, Lakhota has neither a word nor concept for domination. Rather, the language, which is verb-based, articulates relatedness with extraordinary precision.

Tiokasin, whose thinking embraces the pre-colonial Lakhota language, comes explaining and exploring these concepts of relatedness with the living earth, including Anamagoptanye, which means 'the earth is uploading information to you all the time.' This is not merely a concept, but a lived way of knowing, one that connects us moment-to-moment to our mother, the Earth, helping us remember our relatedness to the trees, to our ancestors, and helping re-kindle the awareness of the akantu, the beings of the ancient future now.

*the Lakhota say that their history extends back 200,000 years.

The Doctrine of Discovery

The Papal Bull “Inter Caetera,” issued on May 4, 1493

Wherefore, as becomes Catholic kings and princes, after earnest consideration of all matters, especially of the rise and spread of the Catholic faith, as was the fashion of your ancestors, kings of renowned memory, you have purposed with the favor of divine clemency to bring under your sway the said mainlands and islands with their residents and inhabitants and to bring them to the Catholic faith. Hence, heartily commending in the Lord this your holy and praiseworthy purpose, and desirous that it be duly accomplished, and that the name of our Savior be carried into those regions, we exhort you very earnestly in the Lord and by your reception of holy baptism, whereby you are bound to our apostolic commands, and by the bowels of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, enjoy strictly, that inasmuch as with eager zeal for the true faith you design to equip and despatch this expedition, you purpose also, as is your duty, to lead the peoples dwelling in those islands and countries to embrace the Christian religion; nor at any time let dangers or hardships deter you therefrom, with the stout hope and trust in your hearts that Almighty God will further your undertakings. And, in order that you may enter upon so great an undertaking with greater readiness and heartiness endowed with benefit of our apostolic favor, we, of our own accord, not at your instance nor the request of anyone else in your regard, but out of our own sole largess and certain knowledge and out of the fullness of our apostolic power, by the authority of Almighty God conferred upon us in blessed Peter and of the vicarship of Jesus Christ, which we hold on earth, do by tenor of these presents, should any of said islands have been found by your envoys and captains, give, grant, and assign to you and your heirs and successors, kings of Castile and Leon, forever, together with all their dominions, cities, camps, places, and villages, and all rights, jurisdictions, and appurtenances, all islands and mainlands found and to be found[1], discovered and to be discovered towards the west and south, by drawing and establishing a line from the Arctic pole, namely the north, to the Antarctic pole, namely the south, no matter whether the said mainlands and islands are found and to be found in the direction of India or towards any other quarter, the said line to be distant one hundred leagues towards the west and south from any of the islands commonly known as the Azores and Cape Verde. With this proviso however that none of the islands and mainlands, found and to be found, discovered and to be discovered, beyond that said line towards the west and south, be in the actual possession of any Christian king or prince up to the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ just past from which the present year one thousand four hundred ninety-three begins. And we make, appoint, and depute you and your said heirs and successors lords of them with full and free power, authority, and jurisdiction of every kind; with this proviso however, that by this our gift, grant, and assignment no right acquired by any Christian prince, who may be in actual possession of said islands and mainlands prior to the said birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ, is hereby to be understood to be withdrawn or taking away[2]. Moreover we command you in virtue of holy obedience that, employing all due diligence in the premises, as you also promise—nor do we doubt your compliance therein in accordance with your loyalty and royal greatness of spirit—you should appoint to the aforesaid mainlands and islands worthy, God-fearing, learned, skilled, and experienced men, in order to instruct the aforesaid inhabitants and residents in the Catholic faith and train them in good morals[3]. Furthermore, under penalty of excommunication “late sententie” to be incurred “ipso facto,” should anyone thus contravene, we strictly forbid all persons of whatsoever rank, even imperial and royal, or of whatsoever estate, degree, order, or condition, to dare without your special permit or that of your aforesaid heirs and successors, to go for the purpose of trade or any other reason to the islands or mainlands[4], found and to be found, discovered and to be discovered, towards the west and south, by drawing and establishing a line from the Arctic pole to the Antarctic pole, no matter whether the mainlands and islands, found and to be found, lie in the direction of India or toward any other quarter whatsoever, the said line to be distant one hundred leagues towards the west and south, as is aforesaid, from any of the islands commonly known as the Azores and Cape Verde; apostolic constitutions and ordinances and other decrees whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding. We trust in Him from whom empires and governments and all good things proceed, that, should you, with the Lord’s guidance, pursue this holy and praiseworthy undertaking, in a short while your hardships and endeavors will attain the most felicitious result, to the happiness and glory of all Christendom.

-Pontifex Alexander VI

[1] Grant of title of land by decree. Ownership of land to Christian Kings who 'discover'.

[2] You may not steal land from other Christian kings. Their land title claims must be respected. Presumptive hierarchy/ superiority of Christians.

[3] Conversion imperative. Evangelical imperative to convert native populations to Christianity. Presumptive superiority and divine entitlement of Christians.

[4] Grant of economic dominion. Enforcement of trade restriction.

Substantive legal impact until the present day

The doctrine of discovery, and the attendant concept of Terra Nullius – (literally no man's land) – the notion that land not occupied by Christians is legally deemed to be unoccupied or uninhabited, has been for 500 years the legal basis of colonial land claims, its jurisdictional logic extending even into the 21st century. In Australia the question of whether British colonizers had regarded the continent as terra nullius at the time of the original settlement, and, if so, whether this was a proper designation, was at the center of several important legal cases in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Many of these cases were responded to in 2017, when over 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Delegates from all points of the Southern Sky gathered in Mutitjulu in the shadow of Uluru and put their signatures on a historic statement. The Uluru Statement From The Heart addressed to the Australian people invited the nation to create a better future via the proposal of key reforms. You can read this stunning truth-telling document here.