TRC Call to Action #47

We are now at the halfway mark in the 94 Calls to Action.

I believe that if we want governments to repudiate such power-over concepts as the Doctrine of Discovery and terra nullius, we individuals must be willing to examine how similar concepts shape our own lives -- "finders keepers," "first come, first served" and other similar ideas weave through our lives. If we apply them on an individual basis, should we be surprised that governments (made up of other humans) draw on those ideas when shaping their policies?

47. We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to repudiate concepts used to justify European sovereignty over Indigenous peoples and lands, such as the Doctrine of Discovery and terra nullius, and to reform those laws, government policies, and litigation strategies that continue to rely on such concepts.