"The Doctrine" Film Screening

Join us for a screening of "The Doctrine" by Gwendolen Cates. The Doctrine of Discovery is the term for 15th-century decrees issued by the Vatican that authorized conquest and colonization and later became enshrined in U.S. law.

The film follows a group of Indigenous teenagers from Minneapolis/St.Paul who travel to Rome to meet with Vatican officials and advocate for the repudiation of the Doctrine.

Also featured are Indigenous activists in Aotearoa (New Zealand), Guatemala, New Caledonia and Puerto Rico. The film exposes how the Doctrine of Discovery has targeted communities of color, was the origin of the transatlantic slave trade and enables corporate forces driving the climate crisis.

To RSVP or to request accommodations, please email Diane Schenandoah at dlschena@syr.edu.