Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery

The Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery podcast, hosted by Philip P. Arnold and Sandy Bigtree (Mohawk Nation), critically examines the historical and ongoing impacts of the Doctrine of Christian Discovery. Rooted in 15th-century papal edicts, this doctrine provided theological and legal justification for European colonialism, the seizure of Indigenous lands, and the subjugation of non-Christian peoples. The podcast explores how these principles became codified in U.S. law, from Johnson v. M’Intosh (1823) to Sherrill v. Oneida (2005), and continue to underpin contemporary legal, religious, and corporate frameworks. Featuring discussions with scholars, legal experts, and Indigenous leaders, the series sheds light on how this doctrine fuels environmental destruction, economic exploitation, and cultural genocide while also highlighting Indigenous resistance and calls for justice, land restoration, and the repudiation of these colonial structures. <

Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery is a religion podcast hosted by The Doctrine of Discovery Project, with 46 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

The Doctrine of Discovery Project hosts Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery, a religion show with 46 episodes published.

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  Episode #12

  S06E12: How The Revolutionary War Reshaped Haudenosaunee Governance

  Jun 5, 202640 minS6

  <p>We talk with Tom Porter about how colonization and the Revolutionary War reshaped Mohawk and Haudenosaunee leadership, identity, and survival, including the complicated legacy of Joseph Brant. We also work through what decolonization looks like on the ground: restoring trust, practicing restraint, and making room for condolence and real apologies.</p>discovering family lineage connected to Joseph Brant and the Mohawk kingsleadership based on natural ability versus European bureaucracychurch pressure on matrilineal clan systems and the shift toward inherited titlesdecolonization as retrieval of original instructions without shaming peoplethe “rattlesnake skin” metaphor for leadership without lifewhy Longhouse relationships are not fait...

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  Episode #11

  S06E11: What Changes When Earth Is Your Mother

  Jun 4, 202651 minS6

  <p>We talk about how Haudenosaunee ceremonies survived generations of fear, shame, and punishment, and why we decide it is time to share teachings openly without asking anyone to become Mohawk. We connect creation stories, matrilineal leadership, and the Thanksgiving Address to a clear environmental message: renew a living relationship with Mother Earth before we lose what keeps our children alive. </p><p><b>Themes</b></p>the Freedom School as language preservation and ceremonial continuity the Thanksgiving Address as the spiritual frame for meetings universal teachings across nations symbolized by the drum matrilineal governance and women vetting leadership Turtle Islan...

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  Episode #10

  S06E10: How Colonial Law Shaped Modern Data Extraction

  May 4, 202632 minS6

  <p>Clicking “I agree” can feel harmless until you hear what it echoes. We follow a striking thread from the Doctrine of Discovery and Terra Nullius to the digital present, where human attention and behavior are often treated as if they belong to no one, ready to be “discovered” and taken. Our guest, a mixed-heritage settler Mennonite and Taino scholar who teaches AI ethics and policy at Queen’s University, opens with a jarring comparison between colonial “terms of subjugation” and today’s terms of service agreements.<br/><br/>From there, we map Data Nullius: the idea that platform capitalism converts lived e...

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  Episode #9

  S06E09: The Legacy of Charles H. Long Part 2: How & Why White Supremacy Persists

  Mar 17, 20261h 41mS6

  <p>Ever wonder how a 15th‑century church decree still shapes who owns land in the United States today? We follow the Doctrine of Discovery from papal bulls and royal charters to Supreme Court opinions, then ground that history in living Haudenosaunee sovereignty at the Scano Great Law of Peace Center—a collaborative space built on values, relationship, and the Two Row Wampum way of working side by side without domination.<br/><br/>We open up Charles H. Long’s influence to frame religion as a structure of meaning that orders power and history, then test that frame against the erasur...

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  Episode #8

  Remembering The Teacher: Charles H. Long (Part 1)

  Feb 23, 202640 minS6

  <p>The story begins with a mentor called simply “the teacher.” From a first lecture on sky gods to late-night phone calls and a leather coat the color of memory, we trace how Charles H. Long shaped minds through myth, method, and a rare musicality of thought. We share how he taught us to start with a text, a myth, a story—and then keep going until we hit the pre-logos ground where creation actually happens.<br/><br/>We unpack three core lessons that still unsettle and inspire. First, creation myths are not artifacts; they are tools for making new worlds...

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