Unsettling Truths: American History, Christianity, and the Doctrine of Discovery
Last weekend, Mark Charles, co-author of Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery, came to the Diocese of Milwaukee for a weekend of events in Milwaukee, Pewaukee, and Madison.
The events were hosted locally by Fr. Joel Prather (St. Bart's, Pewaukee) and Fr. Jonathan Grieser (Grace, Madison). They both shared their reflections on the impactful sessions.
Fr. Joel Prather:
What an honor to welcome Mark Charles to the diocese this past weekend with an excellent talk on his book Unsettling Truths at St. Mark’s, Milwaukee; Doctrine of Discovery Forums at Grace Church, Madison and St. Bart’s, Pewaukee; and a powerful sermon on The Radical Inclusivity of the Holy Spirit at St. Bart’s. Mark’s messages included themes including: “you cannot discover lands already inhabited," the unsettling history of the United States with special attention on Abraham Lincoln, and the importance of learning to recognize the Holy Spirit at work and then courageously following. Some additional highlights included a dinner conversation Mark had with Fr. Pedro and Gloria Lara on what it means to “De-colonize Christianity," and former Asst. Secretary of the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs Ada Deer's presence at his talk at Grace Church. We encourage you to watch Mark’s forum and sermon at the video links below. You can learn more about him at www.WirelessHogan.com and we encourage you to support him at the links below.
- Watch Mark’s “Unsettling Truths — Doctrine of Discovery Forum: You Cannot Discover Lands Already Inhabited" here.
- Watch Mark’s sermon, “The Radical Inclusivity of the Holy Spirit in Acts 10” here.
- Support Mark’s Book Tour
- Become a Patreon member of Mark’s
Mark with Former Asst. Secretary of the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs Ada Deer
Fr. Jonathan Grieser:
Last weekend, Mark Charles, co-author of Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery, visited the Diocese of Milwaukee. I had read his book early last year as part of my effort to educate myself about Native American history and about the culture, lives, and resilience of contemporary Native Americans. Although I knew much of the story told in the book, I hadn’t connected all of the dots in the way that Charles and his co-author, did. The story they told, and the story Mark told us this weekend, re-shaped how I think about myself, my ancestors, and my nation.
My ancestors settled in Northwestern Ohio beginning in 1836, just four years after the Indian Removal Act and the forced relocation of the Potawatomie from that area to Indian Territory in the West. When I was growing up, there was almost no vestige of Potawatomie or other Native American remaining in the area. A single town in my county, Wauseon, was named after a Potawatomie chief but all other place names were European in origin. We weren’t taught the story of the forced removal of the Potawatomie to make way for European settlers. Instead, it was empty territory, waiting for European settlers to populate it. It’s a story that could be told of many other places in the US, different from others, including Southern Wisconsin, only in the total erasure of Native peoples from the landscape and from memory.
The most devastating part of Charles’ talk and Unsettling Truths is his discussion of Abraham Lincoln. The Great Emancipator, the President who preserved the Union and freed the slaves, is an American hero, beloved for his wisdom and for his accomplishments, mourned after his assassination by the nation. While the Civil War was raging, Lincoln also oversaw the transformation of the West. The Homestead Act offered 160 acres to anyone who homesteaded for five years on Western lands; he promoted the Transcontinental Railway that transferred vast tracts of land to railroad companies in exchange for their commitments to build railroads linking the west coast with the east.
Continue reading Fr. Jonathan's reflection here.
Mark pictured with Fr. Joel and Fr. Jonathan