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Friday, February 17, 2023

Links - 17th February 2023 (1 - Indigenous People)

Australian Indigenous Activists Call Out White Feminism's Deadly Blind Spot - "the narrative of intra-Indigenous abuse is seen as unfashionable to report. Since reporting my own story of childhood sexual assault, I’ve been closely attuned to the many other survivors who’ve shared their own. I’ve also observed how these stories are variously ignored or signal-boosted according to the political and cultural agenda of journalists and politicians—adding another layer of manipulation and cruelty to these women’s experiences. In the case of the Indigenous women who travelled to Canberra, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and other media were reportedly wary that the trio’s message might cast Indigenous men in a negative light... 'We have to live with an Aboriginal rape culture. Sexual abuse is accepted as normal in too many Aboriginal communities. When I have been interviewed by the media, I have been told not to use these words because they demonise Aboriginal men. The media don’t want to hear the truth. But white feminists are allowed to say whatever they want. Why is it that Aboriginal women and children suffer the most, but they won’t let us have our own voice when it comes to violence and sexual abuse in this country? Why won’t they let us tell our story?'
Amazingly, even as the ABC was being called out for silencing Indigenous women, the announcer abruptly cut the broadcast during Flint’s presentation. In a court of law, “testimony” is a form of evidence. And in the social and political sphere, we are now accustomed to the idea that “lived experience” is the gold evidentiary standard when it comes to assessing the moral strength of social-justice causes. So what does it mean when a national broadcaster works to suppress reports of the “lived experience” of Australia’s Indigenous women—in the service of protecting its own ideological framework?... I want to suggest that the “testimony” of women—especially in regard to their material reality—is being treated as a form of cultural product. It is “consecrated” or discarded by a field of cultural power. Unlike in a court of law, neither the truth of the testimony, nor the character of the author, are as important as the institutional and political power it reinforces... a media search for [indigenous mens'] victims’ names brings up relatively scant coverage. Our screens instead have been filled with details surrounding Brittany Higgins, a young government employee who was allegedly raped in Australia’s Parliament building in 2019 by a government staffer... Ms. Higgins’s accusations of sexual abuse—like most of the other accusations that have been prominently aired in regard to misconduct and rampant sexism among parliamentary lawmakers and staff—implicate either conservative parliamentarians, or the parliamentary policies that operate under the incumbent centre-right Liberal government. Putting aside accusations that these testimonies have been weaponized for political purposes, the editorial choices made by Australia’s media tell a deeper story about the way that issues related to sex and gender are now covered. The very language we now use to discuss social justice and feminism is being subjected to American critical-race ideology and intersectional feminism. The testimonies of women are being tested against sanctified oppression narratives of racial and gender oppression. Certain intersectional feminists are sanctified because they will not speak against Indigenous men, who have been cast as victims in the wider oppression narrative surrounding colonization. All of this is connected to an ideological framework described as anti-racism, which often seems to simply be a framework for rebranding white saviours and noble savages. At the recent March4Justice in Melbourne, anger was a dominant theme—specifically, anger at “sexism, misogyny, and dangerous workplace cultures,” according to a (male) journalist reporting on the event in the Sydney Morning Herald. Signs read, “The future is female and it is furious” and “No Swinging Dicks.” Women chanted “to hell with the patriarchy!” The furious tone of these slogans suggests that Australian women inhabit a deeply sexist society. But notwithstanding the (genuinely concerning) revelations about the professional climate for political staffers in Canberra, Australia scored better than any other nation in the world in a 2018 survey of women’s workforce equality. At the March4Justice event, one woman held up a sign that read, “Karens for Justice.” But in general, it isn’t the “Karens” who, are in most dire need of help, but the Laylas, Fionicas, and Keturahs—a constituency that few elites seem eager to talk about. The prominence of issues emphasized by wealthy white women in power struggles against white wealthy men (such as what language we should be using, and the required level of female representation in executive suites) has caused many to dismiss popularized forms of intersectional feminism as “white feminism.” Grassroots feminists like me, on the other hand, direct our anger at other issues that the media isn’t talking about. We are angry at being told that self-defined gender, not biological sex, marks the proper domain of feminist concern; that our testimony will be heard only if expressed in the idiom of gender ideology; and that only one race of people can be critiqued in a progressive framework. As Cheron Long asserts, “white feminists,” despite all their performative disavowals of white supremacy, systematically guard their privileged access to media and political platforms from Indigenous women who deviate from the progressive script... This specific Twitter exchange related to the composition of public boards, which itself is consistent with the privileged upper middle-class tenor that now dominates such discussions. Much time is also wasted applying intersectional analysis to the question of what type of women should be allowed to participate in Pride parades, convene speaking events at libraries, or receive literary prizes. But rape and female genital mutilation performed on a large scale by people who happen not to be white males is selectively ignored."

Telling the Truth About Aboriginal Deaths in Custody - "the ABC reported Labor’s spokeswoman for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, as stating that Aboriginal deaths in custody are now a ‘national emergency’. According to Burney, this is because “…the Royal Commission [into Black Deaths in Custody] had not been implemented, and part of it was due to systemic racism, and part of it was about not the appropriate medical attention being provided to Aboriginal prisoners.” However, what Burney fails to acknowledge is that according to the Australian Institute of Criminology, “Death rates of Indigenous prisoners have been consistently lower than the death rates of non-Indigenous prisoners since 2003–04”. What’s more, as the following graph illustrates, both indigenous and non-indigenous deaths have both been falling since 1981...   Significantly, the vast majority of Aboriginal deaths in custody are experienced by those with pre-existing health conditions, rather than anything to do with police violence or ‘systemic racism’"

It’s time Australia told the truth about Aboriginal deaths in custody, Indigenous academic Anthony Dillon says - "David Biles a criminologist, who for three years was the head of the criminology research group of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, stated: “in the early days of the royal commission, when I and a small team of researchers were able to prove unequivocally that Aboriginal people were slightly less likely to die in prison or police custody than non-Aboriginal people, we were met with derision and disbelief. We were even accused of disloyalty to the royal commission.”... We pay a dear price when Aboriginal people in custody are portrayed as being at an increased risk of dying. When Aboriginal people are endlessly bombarded with the poisonous message that frontline workers are racist, then don’t be surprised if they are reluctant to access their services when needed... Rachael Marin, the principal solicitor at Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre, was reported to have said that due to the four Aboriginal deaths in custody in March, these statistics were stopping women from reporting their abusers... we don’t just want Aboriginal people not entering prison, we want them as productive members of society, as many of them are already. I think a good start would be to look at those Aboriginal Australians who are doing well. What has been the key to their success? First, I think the advice of my father, Australia’s first Aboriginal police officer, Col Dillon, is valuable: “People who keep making excuses and justify poor behaviour, rarely aspire to worthwhile goals in life.” Let’s stop making excuses.  Second, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt, provides an important clue: “Education creates the opportunity to be empowered, take charge of our future and shape our destiny … I’ve been a battler for most of my life but I have always driven myself to be successful in order to achieve my dreams. Education was the pathway that changed my life and it’s the key to success for any young Australian.”"
Clearly, aboriginal people not using government services is proof of "stigma" and "discrimination"

Plenty of myths and half-truths about black deaths in custody - "One of the myths surrounding this subject is the belief that most Aboriginal prisoners are incarcerated for minor offences such as public drunkenness or traffic offences. There probably was some basis for that belief many years ago, but it is certainly not the case today. A glance at the relevant data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows there is very little difference between the severity of the offences committed by Indigenous and non-Indigenous prisoners. The hard fact is that most of the Indigenous prisoners in jail have committed serious offences that would have had the same result if they were not Indigenous. Another fact that will not be welcomed is some research has suggested Indigenous offenders may be given lesser sentences than others."

It’s rash to shout racism over deaths in custody - "If you get your news only from the left-leaning media, you could be forgiven for believing that Aboriginal Australians are the endless victims of racism, their children are being stolen because governments are racist, and are being slaughtered in custody; this last point is the impetus for writing this article... Naturally, Lidia provides no evidence of racism. I guess that’s the cool thing about making accusations of racism, the burden of proof lies with the accused and never the claimant... In 2018, two Aboriginal teenagers tragically lost their lives in Perth’s Swan River while trying to evade police. At the time social media was full of claims by social justice warriors that this demonstrated just how fearful the boys were of police... One likely answer is that they have been indoctrinated with the myth perpetuated by activists that Aboriginal people in custody are more likely to die than non-Aboriginal people in custody."

Warfare In Pre-Columbian North America - "Despite the myth that Aboriginals lived in happy harmony before the arrival of Europeans, war was central to the way of life of many First Nation cultures. Indeed, war was a persistent reality in all regions though, as Tom Holm has argued, it waxed in intensity, frequency and decisiveness. The causes were complex and often interrelated, springing from both individual and collective motivations and needs. At a personal level, young males often had strong incentives to participate in military operations, as brave exploits were a source of great prestige in most Aboriginal cultures. According to one Jesuit account from the 18th Century, ‘The only way to attract respect and public veneration among the Illinois is, as among the other Savages, to acquire a reputation as a skilful hunter, and particularly as a good warrior … it is what they call being a true man.’ Among west coast societies, the material goods and slaves acquired through raiding were important avenues to build up sufficient wealth to host potlatches and other give-away ceremonies. At a community level, warfare played a multifaceted role, and was waged for different reasons. Some conflicts were waged for economic and political goals, such as gaining access to resources or territory, exacting tribute from another nation or controlling trade routes. Revenge was a consistent motivating factor across North America, a factor that could lead to recurrent cycles of violence, often low intensity, which could last generations. Among the Iroquoian nations in the northeast, ‘mourning wars’ were practiced. Such conflicts involved raiding with the intent to capture prisoners, who were then adopted by bereaved families to replace family members who had died prematurely due to illness or war.   Archaeological evidence confirms the prominent role of warfare in indigenous societies well before the arrival of permanent European settlers. As early as the year 1000, for example, Huron, Neutral, Petun and Iroquois villages were increasingly fortified by a timber palisade that could be nearly 10 metres in height, sometimes villages built a second or even third ring to protect them against attacks by enemy nations. Craig Keener has described how these structures became larger and more elaborate through to the 1500s, with logs as large as 24 inches in diameter being used to construct the multi-layered defences, an enormous investment in communal labour that the villagers would not have made had it not been deemed necessary. Sieges and assaults on such fortified villages therefore must have occurred before Europeans arrived, and were certainly evident in the 17th and 18th Centuries. War also fuelled the development of highly complex political systems among these Iroquoian nations. The great confederacies, such as the Iroquois Confederation of Five Nations and the Huron Confederacy, probably created in the late 16th Century, grew out of their members’ desire to stem the fratricidal wars that had been ravaging their societies for hundreds of years. They were organized around the Confederacy Council, which ruled on inter-tribal disputes in order to settle differences without bloodshed. The Councils also discussed matters of foreign policy, such as the organization of military expeditions and the creation of alliances...   While women played an important social and political role in indigenous societies, military activities were, like hunting, usually reserved for men. From a young age, boys were initiated into the use of weapons and were taught how to kill both animals and humans. The interrelationships between war and hunting were so close that warriors going to battle would sometimes say they were going ‘hunting for men.’...   Some aspects of indigenous warfare shocked the European settlers. For example, the custom of scalping the enemy, which consisted in removing his hair by cutting off his scalp, scandalized many European observers. While some scholars have suggested that the Europeans themselves during first contact introduced this practice, it now appears certain that scalping existed well before colonization. In 1535, the explorer Jacques Cartier saw five scalps displayed in the village of Hochelaga."
Damn colonialism and white supremacy!

Meme - Marxist Soccer @MarxistSoccer: "More proof that the white man is the only woke identity."
doug balls @sinn_tane: "Like the Pocahontas stuff never happened. Unreal."
J. Miles Coleman JMilesColeman: "Robeson County, NC precincts where Native Americans are a majority of voters:
2012
Obama - 59.4%
Romney - 39.2%
2020
Trump - 69.1%
Biden - 30.1%"
Kenny Johnson @dodgingcars: "I'm really trying to wrap my head around this one."
Tim Miller @Timodc: "wow"
KJBD @KJBD11: "Like the Pocahontas stuff never happened. Unreal."

Meme - Timothy Grose @GroseTimothy: "Colonialization is not just about erasing and redefining territories and cultures--its about "disciplining" individual bodies. A member of a fanghuiju team directs a small child on how to brush his teeth correctly."
This person's bio: "Associate Prof of #China Studies, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Tweets about #Xinjiang, Islam in China, my twins, and Wed Tibetan song translations #བོད)"
Dental hygiene is colonialism. But of course, if "indigenous" people have worse dental health, this will also be the fault of colonialism

Metrolinx faces 2nd court delay in bid to cut down Osgoode Hall trees - "One day after an Ontario Superior Court Justice ruled Metrolinx could move ahead with plans to cut down trees at Osgoode Hall, the transit agency is facing yet another delay.  Tree cutting was ordered paused again on Saturday by the Ontario Court of Appeal pending a Tuesday hearing initiated by the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI)... the HDI injunction pertains to concerns that "Indigenous rights holders have not been meaningfully consulted."  "The choice for Metrolinx is clear cut," Liz Driver, BOLD's interim chair, said via email. "Engage in real consultation and change your tactics or expect more delays as the people of Toronto and all those impacted by the project fight you at every stop."   In numerous statements, Metrolinx has repeated that it has been engaging with communities on this project for over two years.  "This is yet another delay as we work to build the transit system Ontarians need and deserve" *sign that says "We can't live without trees! But we can live without Metrolinx!"*"
The irony is that the people who demand good public transport are the same ones who champion "indigenous" concerns and claim no development can be done if it "hurts" the environment (while at the same time saying public transit is the way to "save" the environment. And a lot of them are NIMBYs who hate other types of development too, even though densification is essential for public transport (and also "saves" the environment)

OPP officer killed: court docs, man accused denied bail in other case - "The man accused of killing an Ontario Provincial Police officer had been initially denied bail in a previous case and was later granted it upon review in the months before this week's shooting, court documents show.  Randall McKenzie, 25, and Brandi Crystal Lyn Stewart-Sperry, 30, each face a charge of first-degree murder in the death of OPP Const. Grzegorz Pierzchala...  McKenzie was denied bail in December 2021, court documents show, as he awaited trial in Hamilton on a number of charges after he allegedly assaulted three people, including a peace officer, earlier that month. He was also facing a number of related weapons charges, including carrying a handgun with a defaced serial number.  But after the decision was reviewed, McKenzie was granted bail in June under strict conditions, including that he wear a GPS monitor, report to police twice a week, live with his surety, and not possess any weapons. He was ordered to only leave his residence with his surety for medical emergencies, to attend meetings with his lawyer or to attend counselling recommended by a local Indigenous centre...   McKenzie is from the Onondaga First Nations of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, a 2021 parole document says. At that time he was serving a nearly three-year sentence, the document shows, after he robbed a restaurant at gunpoint and then stole the owner's vehicle in 2017 before turning himself in a month later.  The parole board said he had a history of violence, including domestic violence.  It was also evident to the board, the document shows, that McKenzie had suffered "the negative impacts of colonialism." He suffered abuse, addiction, and was disconnected from his family and cultural community. McKenzie's biological parents "struggled with alcohol," he was adopted out of their care at age two, and he believed his grandfather attended residential school, the parole documents show."

Accused OPP shooter was out on bail due to Indigenous identity - The Globe and Mail - "A man who is accused of killing an Ontario Provincial Police officer while out on bail for previous alleged violent offences had been set free from jail primarily because he is Indigenous, a transcript of his bail review hearing shows. Federal law requires judges to pay particular attention to the circumstances of Indigenous offenders at sentencing, in an attempt to reduce disproportionate rates of incarceration among Indigenous peoples. The Supreme Court and other courts have extended that principle to bail and other court proceedings.  Publication bans are automatically granted on most aspects of bail hearings if accused people ask for them. But in this case the man, who was represented by counsel, did not ask, the transcript shows. The result is a rare public glimpse at a release alleged to have led to deadly violence... in part because Mr. McKenzie was out on bail at the time of the alleged killing, all of the country’s provincial premiers sent a letter to the federal government demanding more restrictive bail laws, especially in cases involving gun crimes.  Even the judge at Mr. McKenzie’s June bail hearing, Ontario Superior Court Justice Harrison Arrell, acknowledged that his release was “iffy” and that the prosecution was justifiably concerned he would reoffend... But Justice Arrell concluded that Mr. McKenzie’s Indigenous background hung heavily in the balance... Mr. Hafizi offered a new release plan, with Mr. McKenzie’s 60-year-old mother as his surety. She promised she would inform authorities if Mr. McKenzie left the house and could not be found... Mr. McKenzie had two previous convictions for breaches of bail, including one when his mother was his surety... Mr. Kim, the prosecutor, opposed the release, saying the risk of Mr. McKenzie reoffending was too great, and that his release would bring the justice system into disrepute, given his criminal record.  Justice Arrell expressed his difficulty in putting an Indigenous person into extended pre-trial custody."

Court rulings on Aboriginals will make bail reform tough - "Justice Minister David Lametti said his government is “seriously considering” bail reform, and that he looks forward to discussing it with his provincial counterparts at a forthcoming meeting. In a recent letter, all 13 provincial and territorial premiers supported implementing a “reverse onus” provision on bail for defendants charged with certain gun crimes: Instead of the Crown having to prove the case against bail, the defendant would have to prove a case for it. The impetus for the premiers’ letter was the murder of Ontario Provincial Police Constable Grzegorz Pierzchala in December, allegedly by 25-year-old Randall McKenzie, whose criminal record would turn even many bleeding hearts to stone: assaulting girlfriends, assaulting a peace officer, armed robbery, stabbing a fellow inmate in prison and various other weapons and assault charges. On releasing him from prison in 2021, a Parole Board correctly deemed him a high risk to reoffend... The obligation in question stems from a 1995 amendment to the Criminal Code that added a new “sentencing principle”: Section 718.2(e) says “all available sanctions, other than imprisonment, that are reasonable in the circumstances and consistent with the harm done to victims or to the community should be considered for all offenders, with particular attention to the circumstances of Aboriginal offenders.” The goal was to reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in Canada’s prisons and jails.   In R v. Gladue, and the less famous R v. Ipeelee, the Supreme Court later interpreted “should” to mean “must.” And in the years since, courts have extended the “Gladue principles” to the granting of bail... Under the Criminal Code, “protection or safety of the public, including any victim or witness” is a stated reason for denying bail. And while McKenzie’s victim was a white police officer, it was far more predictable, given his record, that he would have meted out violence on members of his own Indigenous community... the “Gladue principles” are named after Cree-Métis woman Jamie Tanis Gladue, who stabbed her common-law husband to death in 1995 in Nanaimo, B.C. You very rarely hear the victim’s name: Reuben Beaver, also Cree. There was much outrage in 2015 when the RCMP clumsily released statistics suggesting 70 per cent of missing and murdered Indigenous women were victims of people in their own community, but it only stood to reason: We’re far more likely to wind up victims of violence thanks to people we know than thanks to strangers... the Criminal Code provides another criterion for denying bail: “If the detention is necessary to maintain confidence in the administration of justice.” Judges have some downright psychedelic ideas as to what instills confidence in Canadians and what doesn’t. Justice ministers, however, tend to be more clear-eyed. In many ways they picked an obvious tragedy on which to build their case for reform — but they also risk opening a Costco-sized can of worms."
Some people claim Gladue is only about sentencing, so it doesn't apply to bail, so it can't be blamed

Statement by Minister Lametti on Royal Assent of legislation that addresses systemic racism and discrimination in the criminal justice system - "“Bill C-5 received Royal Assent yesterday, reforming sentencing under the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. These sentencing reforms will help address the overrepresentation of Indigenous people, Black persons, racialized Canadians, and members of marginalized communities in the criminal justice system. I am grateful for the support of Parliamentarians in both the House of Commons and the Senate.  “Systemic racism is a reality for too many in Canada’s criminal justice system. We have heard from the public, the courts, and criminal justice experts, and seen the evidence of the disproportionate representation of Indigenous people, Black persons, racialized Canadians, and members of marginalized communities, both as offenders and as victims.   “With this law, we have repealed the mandatory minimum penalties that have most contributed to the overincarceration of Indigenous people, Black persons and racialized Canadians. These reforms will ensure a fairer, more effective justice system for all, while maintaining public safety.  “These reforms also offer the courts greater use of conditional sentences and provide for the judicial discretion needed to impose sentences that reflect the seriousness of the offence and maintain public safety, while addressing the obvious and damaging overrepresentation of Indigenous people, Black persons, racialized Canadians, and members of marginalized communities in the criminal justice system."
Some people claim Gladue is the problem. But the Liberals love to add new racist laws, so the problem is both legislative and judicial

'You wanted the money': Judge rebutts repeat offender's speech on Indigenous trauma - "He wanted his Indigenous background to be taken into account before he was sentenced. He talked about his brutal childhood marred by addiction and alcoholism, the legacy of residential schools, the intergenerational trauma, the “racial genocide” of his people and his efforts to understand his background that comes with “this DNA that we’re born with...   Thomas stayed quiet until Wolfe was finished. He said Wolfe was articulate and “you put forward a firm understanding of the plight of Indigenous people and the issues of reconciliation that need to be before the court. “But you’ve given impassioned speeches to this court before. Judges in this court have heard from you before and . . . nothing has happened,” he said.  “And so, I ask you this: what were you accomplishing when you drove two people with sledge hammers to Gordons Gold, allowed them to smash the cases, take half a million dollars worth of jewelry and then escape? What were you accomplishing for you and your people at that point? What deep-rooted concern were you dealing with?  “That’s an issue simply of greed,” Thomas said. “You didn’t care who you hurt. You didn’t care what happened to them. You wanted the money.”  Wolfe, Thomas said, had a criminal record with 29 adult offences, including two prior armed robberies and stints in prison. “You’ve been in what I would describe as a cyclical period of recidivism and re-offending. Every time you get out, you commit another offence.”"

lanie on Twitter - "western cultures believe we must be alive for a purpose. to work, to make money. some indigenous cultures believe we're alive just as nature is alive: to be here, to be beautiful & strange. we don't need to achieve anything to be valid in our humanness."
Clearly, if people from a culture where they believe we must be alive to work and make money are richer than people from a culture where they believe we are alive to be here, this is proof of racism and settler oppression
Weird how East Asians work so much

Meme<.a< - Native American:
Dinosaur:
Native American:
Dinosaur: GET THE FUCK OFF MY LAND"

Meme - Michelle Cyca @michellecyca: "what's the worst land acknowledgement you've ever seen? i don't know that anything will ever top this: Vancouver Island University acknowledges that we are located on the traditional and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw People, and we thank them for allowing us to live, laugh, love, and learn here."

The ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ & the Myth of Papal Bulls - "The Assembly of First Nations claims that “Discovery was used as legal and moral justification for colonial dispossession of sovereign Indigenous Nations.” The so-called “Doctrine of Discovery,” moreover “...emanates from a series of Papal Bulls.” Some native activists now demand that the Pope revoke several of these Papal Bulls concerning “terra nullius,” the legal concept that “no one owned the land prior to European assertion of sovereignty,” as the Supreme Court of Canada wrote in 2014. It is worth taking a few minutes to demonstrate that such claims about dusty papal parchments are bogus...  Papal Bulls issued prior to 1493 had no effect on the Americas... Although the Treaty of Tordesillas bound Spain and Portugal, it had no practical effect on the ambitions of other European monarchs such as the King of France or the King of England, who considered it a “bilateral commitment applicable only to the signatories.”... if Indigenous leaders have a quarrel concerning a so-called Doctrine of Discovery, that quarrel originated in 1497 and 1534 with the rival claims to Canada made on behalf of Henry VII of England and Francis I of France, not with irrelevant Papal Bulls. In bringing their wild assertions about terra nullius to Pope Francis in Rome earlier this year, they were barking up the wrong tree... The claim that there was a papal “Doctrine of Discovery” behind French and British colonization of Canada is thus a myth. One could even go so far as to state that it is absurd.   It is worthwhile also to take a step back and consider the wider historical movements involved. What motivated the French and British to sail to North America can be understood in the context of historical factors that have motivated all of humanity since perpetually migrating man first walked out of Africa 100,000 years ago. That obviously includes the Siberian migrant ancestors of today’s indigenous people, the Iroquois who conquered Huronia, the Blackfoot who displaced the Kootenay people of Alberta (forcing them to settle west of the Rockies), and so on. Such factors and movements include overpopulation, pressures at one’s borders, resource scarcity, poverty at home, the exigencies of war, expansionist and proselytizing urges, trade, and even simple curiosity and desire for adventure."

The Catholic doctrine of discovery is already null and avoid - "There is no Catholic Doctrine of Discovery. The claim that one is part of contemporary Catholic teaching is simply untrue... Inter Coetera began abrogating a year after it went into effect, all because Spain violated it. Keep in mind, as the Vatican itself has stated, subsequent papal bulls abolish previous ones. In 1537, Pope Paul III issued a new bull, Sublimus Deus, declaring that “Indians and all other people who may later be discovered by Christians, are by no means to be deprived of their liberty or the possession of their property… and that they may and should, freely and legitimately, enjoy their liberty and the possession of their property; nor should they be in any way enslaved; should the contrary happen, it shall be null and have no effect.”...  the Vatican repudiated the bulls before the U.N. in 2010, saying that “Inter Coetera has already been abrogated” and is “without any legal or doctrinal value. They go on to say, “the fact that juridical systems may employ the ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ as a juridical precedent is therefore now a characteristic of the laws of those states and is independent of the fact that for the Church the document has had no value whatsoever for centuries.”"

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