Join our Monthly Spiritual Gathering - TODAY |
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| Friday April 24th at 1pm PT / 4pm ET
Join us: register for the link
You are invited to join our monthly Spiritual Gathering on the last Friday of every month. The Coalition is focusing on the Sacred Values and they are also being reflected in the monthly Spiritual Gathering. Today we will focus on the value of Humility.
These Spiritual Gatherings are based upon principles of decolonization so that we are able to take what we are learning back into our diverse faith communities as we seek to change the ways in which we relate to our Mother Earth and the world that continues to oppress Indigenous Peoples today. Once you have registered, save the link into your calendar -- we will use the same link each month.
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Welcome Bekah Wilson - Administrator |
Please join us in welcoming Bekah Wilson into the role of Coalition Administrator! We are so thankful to have her joining our staff team! |
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Bekah Wilson is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. Her upbringing as an Episcopal “PK” (priest’s kid) and as a descendant of forced displacement has inspired her own journey of healing, knowledge, and discovery of her Yakama heritage.
Bekah is devoted to advocacy and community-centered efforts. Her work is grounded in values of integrity, truth, resilience, and love. She brings a relational, people-first approach to everything she does, believing in the power of connection, listening, and collective growth. Outside of her professional role, Bekah is a wife and the mother of four spirited boys who keep her life busy and filled with love and joy. |
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Land Justice Fund Campaign Launch Webinar |
May 4th, 2026 at 4pm PT / 5pm MT / 6pm CT / 7pm ET
The Land Justice Fund invites you to a webinar celebrating the launch of its newest campaign, which will support buffalo restoration and land rematriation on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming! |
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Hear from Sarah Augustine, founder and Executive Director of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery and Jason Baldes, founder and Executive Director of the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative, about this visionary project. Learn about the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative's vital work of land rematriation and cultural and community revitalization through restoration of the Buffalo to the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho peoples. Bring your questions for the Q&A, and come hear how you can support this healing work!
Zoom Registration: tinyurl.com/WindRiverBuffalo |
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MMIW: Understanding the Crisis and Advocating for Change Tuesday May 5 at 2pm PT / 3pm MT / 4pm CT / 5pm ET |
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| Native American women in the United States are experiencing a crisis of violence and sexual abuse. They go missing by the thousands at rates considerably higher than those of any other race. This history can be traced back to the Doctrine of Discovery, the colonizing of Indigenous lands, and the perpetuation of policies that continue to support the perpetrators rather than protect Native women. Join us on Red Dress Day to learn a bit more about MMIW and pray for those who were stolen, and those impacted, as we seek to end the violence.
Zoom registration: tinyurl.com/MMIW-prayer |
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This event is co-sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona/The Council for Native American Ministry, Episcopal Divinity School (EDS), and The Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery. |
Upcoming: Quarterly Repair Network Call Tuesday May 5 at 4pm PT / 5pm MT / 6pm CT / 7pm ET |
The next Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery Quarterly Repair Network call will be May 5th, 2026! Come touch base with Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery staff, Repair Network congregations and communities, and leaders from across the network.
Join us if you are active, in process, or in the early stages of leading your congregation or community in joining the Coalition's Repair Network. Register for the Zoom link |
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May 17 - Host a Prayer Vigil |
There will be a national day of prayer on May 17th at the National Mall in Washington D.C. This day is part of a series of America 250 celebrations that the U.S. government, and other entities, are planning to mark the anniversary of the United States.
We know that the U.S. was founded upon the Doctrine of Discovery. That this doctrine is embedded within our laws and policies that attempted to erase Indigenous Peoples, and built an economy based on extraction instead of mutual wellbeing. We must tell the truth to understand where we are today, and to rededicate ourselves to a different future. One in which we recognize our interdependence with each other and Mother Earth.
Join us, as we organize a series of prayer vigils across Turtle Island on May 17th from 6am-6pm ET to pray for true Jubilee - the return of stolen land - and a future beyond extractive empire. Contact our Chaplain, Debbie Royals (chaplain@dismantlediscovery.org) if you and your community would like to host a vigil.
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Prayer Project Submission Request |
The Activists Living with Disabilities working group invites any Coalition members to submit any of the following: - Written prayers for the work of the Coalition
- Prayer rituals from your tradition to share (ex: centering prayer, deep breathing etc.)
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Kinesthetic prayer practices, such as folding paper cranes for peace or string knotting
We would like to compile these into a multi-sensory prayer resource for everyone, with an inclusive understanding of what prayer is to different people. Please upload any submissions to this Google Drive, or you can email them to Doe Hoyer (doe@dismantlediscovery.org)
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Activists Living with Disabilities - Meeting Reminder 5/13
Activists Living with Disabilities have gifts to offer the movement for repair and seeking justice alongside Indigenous relatives. Together, we will explore these gifts and how we can effect change towards disability justice and increased accessibility within the movement. Anyone living with any kind of disability or chronic illness is encouraged to join our monthly drop-in calls. We meet monthly on the second Wednesdays.
Our next meeting will be Wednesday, May 13 from 3-4pm PST / 5-6pm CST / 6-7pm EST. You can register here to receive the Zoom link. This month, we will continue our discussion on activism as part of a life of resistance.
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Register: Annual Gathering 2026 July 31st - August 3rd |
2025 Annual Gathering in The Dalles, OR (photo by Joe Hubbard) |
Every year our Coalition hosts an in person gathering for active members and Repair Network representatives. Coalition members are those who are involved in a committee/working group, or are active volunteers with the Coalition. Repair Network members are also part of the Coalition.
Our 2026 annual gathering will be hosted by two congregations: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (248 Seneca St. Harrisburg, PA 17110) and Landisville Mennonite Church (3320 Bowman Rd, Landisville, PA 17538) from July 31st - August 3rd.
Registration cost: $40 for Annual Meeting
If registration cost is a barrier, there are scholarships available (see RSVP form for details).
If you plan to join us for all or part of the long weekend in person, please RSVP at this link by July 15th. A Zoom option will be available for Annual Meeting sessions, please register by July 25th to join us online. |
Schedule - Thursday July 30 - Early arrival
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Friday July 31 - Carlisle Boarding School Tour and Welcome Dinner
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Tour of Carlisle Boarding School from 1-5pm
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What to expect: The tour will include a lot of walking and standing - please wear comfortable shoes and clothing. It is possible that we could be outside for long periods of time without chairs to sit on.
- Dinner and social gathering - 5:30pm at St. Pauls Episcopal
- Saturday Aug 1 - First day of Annual Gathering at St. Paul's
- Lunch and Dinner provided
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Sunday Aug 2 - Second day of Annual Gathering at Landisville Mennonite
- Monday Aug 3 - Repair Network Training: "Economic Justice, Mutual Aid Organizing, and Entryways into the Movement" at Landisville Mennonite
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Note for travel: We recommend flying into Harrisburg Airport, as it will be the easiest location for homestay pickups and transportation. You can indicate whether you would like a homestay on the RSVP form. If you fly into Philadelphia Airport there are buses from Philadelphia to Harrisburg. |
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Reading the Bible on Turtle Island: An Invitation to North American Indigenous Interpretation Book Review by Joann Terranova |
In my work as a religious educator, I am often reading and exploring scripture with children. As I have learned more about Indigenous justice issues, I wonder how I can
approach my work in such a way that it aids in growth of right relationships and helps to develop a church working towards the flourishing of all. When I learned about the book,
Reading the Bible on Turtle Island, I knew that it might prove to be a helpful resource as I consider these questions.
This book is the collaboration of T. Christopher Hoklotubbe and H. Daniel Zacharias two scripture scholars embracing their Indigenous heritage. Their preparation to write the book involved traveling around the United States and Canada, to connect with Indigenous ministers and communities. The authors offer a framework for interpreting Scripture, they name, “Turtle Island Hermeneutics.” After introducing this framework, the following chapters explore various themes, including Indigenous values, and traumas North American Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Each chapter connects to scriptures that may inform that theme. For example, the chapter that focuses on ancestors and visions highlights the “cloud of witnesses” from Hebrews.
Turtle Island Hermeneutics appears to be a holistic approach that invites people to view scripture in connection with cultural traditions, creation, and our hearts and minds. I appreciate this expansion beyond the scripture and tradition that is usually lifted up in my Catholic tradition. Turtle Island Hermeneutics is also expansive in that it acknowledges that God has been at work in all cultures, and that we can each look to the traditions of our heritage for the wisdom that God shares there.
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Reading the Bible on Turtle Island is a testament to the value of doing scripture interpretation in community. In reading the book one gets a feeling that the authors are good friends, who are aware of each other’s gifts and limitations. Their collaboration shines through their writing, and they utilize well the gift of humor. The authors also highlight the work of many other ministers and scholars and bring them into dialogue with each other. This creates a sense of a conversation, one in which the reader is invited into. The prelude/appendix of the book names those who have been a part of the conversation and provides some information about their context and work. This was helpful as it allowed me to see the connections between people whose work I was familiar with and those names new to me. |
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The primary audience for this book is Indigenous Christians in North America. As a settler I cannot comment on how the book lands on Indigenous ears. However, I can say that the book also acknowledges that its message would be beneficial for settlers, and that we are all invited to the work of interpreting scripture in a more holistic way.
After reading Reading the Bible on Turtle Island, I feel that I have been invited to an
expansive more whole approach to engaging scripture. This will aid in my own personal reflection as I sort out what it means to live as a Christian settler on Turtle Island. I can also extend this invitation to the children and families I work with. |
St. Stephen’s University’s Winnipeg / Treaty 1 Territory Learning Tour
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Sarah will be a guest leader at St. Stephen’s University’s Winnipeg / Treaty 1 Territory Learning Tour from May 29 to June 7, 2026.
“[P]articipants will learn about local reconciliation efforts between settler and Indigenous peoples. We will meet with elders and knowledge-keepers as well as Indigenous and settler activists, academics, artists and others who are directly involved in community-based work to foster cultural revitalization, social justice and right relations, between Indigenous and settler peoples.” Register
This tour can be taken for credit or non-credit. When taken for academic credit, the Learning Tour forms one component of SSU’s Reconciliation Studies Certificate.
Questions? Contact www.ssu.ca/contact |
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JustPeace Pilgrimage: Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples |
Navajoland (Bluff, Utah) - Learn more/register Date: September 22 – 26, 2026 Cost: $1050, plus travel to and from Durango, CO (for those flying in) Registration deadline: July 15, 2026
Become better acquainted with Indigenous Peoples, their profound connection to the land we inhabit, and the settler colonial history that is antagonistic to their culture, spirituality, and way of life. Hosted by the Episcopal Church on Navajoland, and the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery: Episcopal Organizer Joe Hubbard and Executive Director Sarah Augustine. |
Mennonite Church Canada: South Africa Solidarity Learning Pilgrimage
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Land, Faith, and Identity - Healing the Colonial Wound
Participants will explore the long history and legacy of colonialism and apartheid in South Africa, which was a political social engineering project based on racial segregation that continues to define South African society. See MC Canada's website for more details.
For whom: up to 20 participants from Mennonite Church Canada congregations
When: October 5-18, 2026 Cost: $4000 plus the cost of airfare to and from South Africa.
Registration Deadline: July 31, 2026 |
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Resource Corner - Moving Towards Right Relations Trainings in May:
- Sarah and Sheri's Substack: Read the latest chapter from Sarah's young adult novel, “Peacekeepers/Truthbringers”
- Joe Hubbard's Substack: Confessions of a Basic White Guy (in Clericals)
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Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Podcast - In the newest season of the DoD podcast we are releasing the Indigenous Speaker Series in audio format! Listen to the latest release: Episode 1: Sophie Pierre
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All check donations to the Coalition should be sent to the following address: Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery 3258 Thompson Ave. Alameda, CA 94501 Checks should still be made out to our fiscal sponsor, Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference. If the check is for the salary campaign or another special fund, that should also be mentioned in the memo line. |
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Our Contact Information
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The Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Coalition is fiscally sponsored by and a ministry partner of the Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference (PSMC).
Want to receive our appeal letters by mail? Email your address to us at admin@dismantlediscovery.org |
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