A guide to the end of the Doctrine of Discovery

Indigenous responsibility for land has not been nullified by the original fiction of the Doctrine of Discovery, nor Canada’s 150 or so years upholding it. The hardest thing we do as humans is admit error, especially after we have built whole structures on that fiction.

Elder Angie Crerar shakes hands with Pope Francis inside the Vatican chambers following a private meeting on March 28, 2022. Behind Crerar stand Cassidy Caron, president of the Métis National Council and Elder Angie LaFleur. The Vatican formally repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery on March 30, 2023.Photograph by Matt LeMay, courtesy of Métis National Council

Opinion

BY ROSE LEMAY

April 3, 2023

OTTAWA—From about 300 to 500 AD, the new Catholics gained prominence over the other European-based spiritualities. It was made possible by the political leader Constantine, who legislated Catholicism as well as converting to it, and he supported the infrastructure dev...

To keep reading, subscribe and become a political insider.

Only $7.76 a week for an annual subscription.

Enjoy unlimited website access and the digital newspaper.

Cancel anytime.

Already a Subscriber?

Get Weekend Point of View Newsletter

A round up of the past weekâ€™s opinion writers and columnists on Saturdays and Sundays.

By entering your email address you consent to receive email from The Hill Times containing news, analysis, updates and offers. You may unsubscribe at any time. See our privacy policy