September Newsletter 2026

September News

• Website ALERT
• Monthly Spiritual Gathering TODAY  
• National Day of Remembrance Webinar - Sept 30th
• Launching: Economic Justice Coffee Hour - Oct 7
• Indigenous Peoples Day Call with CFP - Oct 12
• Land Justice Fund Update
• Support Water Protectors at Line 5
• Celebrating One Year of  I Am
• Border Wall Resistance in Arizona
• Welcome to He Sapa: A Living Legacy of Resistance
• "Unquiet in the Land": a story of Mennonite organizing against Uranium mining

Website ALERT

It has recently come to our attention that the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery's old website domain, dofdmenno.org , is no longer owned by the Coalition and is owned by an unknown third party.   We do not have access to this domain or the content that is being posted there.  However, our name and branding are still on the website and when you search for "The Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery" it is the second result that shows up. This may cause confusion when searching for us online.

 

Our correct web address is   dismantlediscovery.org  

 

We are working to get our branding and content on the old website taken down. In the meantime, please make sure that you are going to   dismantlediscovery.org   for any Coalition to Dismantle related information and materials. 

 

Three ways to check that you are on the correct website :

1. There is a menu bar at the top that includes our 'Contact' page and our 'Land Justice Fund'
2. Our website is regularly updated with our monthly newsletters, check under the menu item 'Updates' > 'Newsletters' for our latest newsletter (sent out the last Friday of every month)
3. The 'Meet Our Staff' page includes our current list of 13 staff members, including our Associate Director Jonathan Neufeld and Administrator Bekah Wilson

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Monthly Spiritual Gathering - TODAY

Our regularly scheduled Decolonizing Spiritual Gathering on Friday, September 25 at 4pm ET / 1pm PT continues with the Sacred Value Honesty. The Spiritual Care Team is inviting you into a space of conversation and we will be using the Coalition's Practices as the foundation for the gathering. They can be found  here .

As we look forward, we are inviting you to use the Practices format for a community gathering on Monday, October 12 honoring Indigenous Peoples Day in your own faith communities. The October 30 gathering on Wisdom/Knowledge will be a reflection from each of your experiences for this gathering. 

Please join us:  Register for our Spiritual Gathering over Zoom

As a reminder, the October 30 gathering continues to meet at 4pm ET / 1pm PT but it will be the last one at this time. In November the monthly Decolonizing Spiritual Gathering will move to 4:30pm PT / 7:30 pm ET on the last Friday of the month. 

National Day of Remembrance Webinar

September 30 at 4:30pm PT / 5:30pm MT / 6:30pm CT / 7:30pm ET 

The National Day of Remembrance on Sept. 30th is a day to remember and honor those who attended Indian Boarding Schools, to tell the truth about this history and how it continues to impact Native communities today.

 

Register for the Zoom link  and join the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery for a presentation by Rev. Canon Debbie Royals (Pascua Yaqui) and panel discussion with Vance Blackfox (Cherokee), Director of Ecumenical and Tribal Relations of the Indigenous Theological Circle , Rev. Dr. Allen Buck (Cherokee), Director of the United Methodist’s Circle of Indigenous Ministries in the Northwest, and Pearl Chanar (Alaska Native), co-chair of the Episcopal Church's Truth, Justice & Healing on Native Boarding Schools Commission.

Co-sponsored by the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery, Episcopal Divinity School, Diocese of AZ / Council for Native Ministries, and the Truth, Justice and Healing Commission of the Episcopal Church.

Launching: Economic Justice Coffee Hour

Wednesday Oct 7 @ 12pm ET / 11am CT / 10am MT / 9am PT

In a movement for Indigenous and Land Justice, the pursuit of Economic Justice - the return of resources to the side of the oppressed - is a vital element. Over the past year the Coalition has launched two new economic justice trainings: 'Jubilee & Reenvisioning Security' and 'Mutual Aid Organizing and Entryways into the Movement'. Our trainings asked participants to reflect on and grieve the unjust capitalist systems we are currently a part of and imagine what life-sustaining systems we can build instead.

Continue the conversation on Economic Justice with members of the Coalition's Investment Justice Working Group at our brand new Economic Justice Coffee Hour, premiering October 7, at 12 noon ET / 9am PT .   RSVP here

Indigenous Peoples Day: Community Call with Christians for a Free Palestine

Monday Oct 12 @ 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 6pm MT / 5pm PT

RSVP Here

Join the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery and  Christians for a Free Palestine this Indigenous Peoples Day. During this community call panelists will explore the influence of the Doctrine of Discovery in the settler colonial project of the United States, intersections with Christian Zionism, and parallels between the Palestinian decolonial struggle with that of Indigenous Peoples on Turtle Island. 

 

Scholar-Activist Fellow Alicia Maldonado-Zahra will be representing the Coalition to Dismantle on the call. 

Land Justice Fund Update

Thank you to all who contributed to the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery’s Land Justice Fund this summer! The Land Justice Fund has allocated $100K to the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative , the final funds they needed to complete a critical land return purchase on the Wind River Reservation.

 

A brief message from WRTBI:  “The Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative has appreciated working with the CDDD on this Landback Initiative. It is refreshing to see an organization so committed to reconciliation and justice. The recently purchased piece of land will add hundreds of acres of connected Buffalo habitat to allow for the growth of the Shoshone herd. As our Buffalo relatives once cared for us, it is our turn to care for them.”

While this campaign with the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative is now complete,  the Land Justice Fund continues. Contributions of any size can be made to the Land Justice Fund via check, one-time online contribution, or monthly gift, and will support our future Indigenous rematriation partners with their land return and cultural revitalization efforts. If you are considering a contribution, or are experiencing a life transition related to land (inheritance, buying land, selling land, etc) and would like to discuss this with a member of the land justice working group, reach out to phoebe@dismantlediscovery.org and we will be eager to connect with you. And all are welcome to attend the next “Land Justice Coffee Hour” discussion on Monday December 7th - register here.

Support Water Protectors at Line 5

On the 25th of August, the largest oil and gas spill in Wisconsin state history happened along Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline. Despite orders from the state Department of Natural Resources to shut down the pipeline, Enbridge built a new pipeline to bypass the rupture and continue operations. Although this was in clear violation of DNR's permitting process, they have yet to take any legal action against the company. 

 

This bypass is being built through Bad River Band of Ojibwe lands in violation of their consent.   Water protectors at Line 5 have asked for an urgent appeal to fund a thermal drone ($10,000) to monitor and document Enbridge's destruction of their lands. The thermal drone will provide evidence key for court cases. You can donate towards their fundraising efforts   HERE  

 

Please pray for the Bad River Band and water protectors everywhere who are on the frontlines holding extractive industry accountable, and share this call to action with your community.

 

Some history of Line 5 and Bad River Band resistance: In 2023, Canadian oil company Enbridge was ordered to pay the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa $5 million in damages for trespassing and placing the tribe's sacred land at risk of environmental disaster. Enbridge was also ordered to gradually cease its operations on the Bad River Band's land over the next three years. At the time, twelve miles of the Line 5 pipeline in Wisconsin ran through Bad River Band's reservation , and had a history of 30 oil spills during its 70-years of operation. Read the full article here

Celebrating One Year of  I Am

It’s been one year since the children’s book I Am was self-published by artist and author Chiffon Lark! We are so excited to share that in this first year, I Am has been translated into Kummeyaay and Spanish, and has been a featured book of the Native American Children’s Literacy Program.

 

With grant support from Mennonite Central Committee, our Coalition funded the first printing of 200 copies, which were distributed on a donation-basis by the author at the 2025 Indian Child Welfare Association conference. These funds along with other book sales have since been used to contract with Indigenous translators.

Supporting Indigenous language revitalization is incredibly important work. If you haven’t done so yet, we encourage you to buy a copy of I Am for your church or local library, or for the children in your life. Not only does this beautiful book teach an Indigenous worldview, but your purchase supports future translations into Indigenous languages.

 

You can purchase copies directly from the artist , or order multiple copies from the Coalition with this order form . In this form, you can also include an additional donation to the Indigenous languages translation project.  

Border Wall Resistance in AZ

Our eyes, hearts, and prayers are with the land and water defenders across the southwest, creatively and attentively resisting Border Wall Construction. Honoring the construction stunted in Big Bend [ news / updates / activity ], and the binational resistance holding it down at Friendship Park on the San Diego/Tijuana border, we turn our attention to so-called Arizona, where three different sites of border wall resistance are resisting the wall construction in their own ways.  

O:Shad Camp in Lochiel   began in June with environmentalists and artists monitoring the encroaching construction. At the end of July, when contractors started felling 200-year-old grandmother trees, a heart-centered activist stood in front of one of the trees, slowing construction since they had to call in the sheriff to arrest him. One of the three old-growth trees remained, and within two days a tree sit was erected.  Now, over 6 weeks later, a thriving basecamp has been built. This camp is referred to as Camp O:Shad, or Tierra Libre , land that is free from militarization and extraction. Land that is free with creative infrastructure, generative conflict management, prayers of all forms. Join us on the ground , donate here and here for legal support and supplies, respectively, and pray from wherever you are .

The Tohono O’odham Nation’s reservation lands in Southern AZ has 62 miles of international border with Mexico. The O’odham have lived on and cared for these lands since time immemorial, long before the United States or Mexico existed, migrating to and fro where the border wall now chokes movement. When the Nation learned that plans for expanding the border wall were being made, they filed suit in federal court, asking for a preliminary injunction on any construction in their territory. Last month the injunction was denied, and on August 26th border wall contractors illegally entered the Nation’s territory to begin construction.  The O’odham Nation set up Tadai M:ei at Ko:li Ki:jig to hold prayer and resist the destruction of their lands. They have since held various ceremonies using prayer and connection with The Mother to resist destruction. Please pray for the Tohono O’odham Nation as they fight for their sovereignty to be respected and land protected .

Another site under threat from border wall construction is Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Specifically, Quitobaquito Springs ( A’al Vaipia ) , a desert oasis sacred to the Hia-Ced O’odham and home to three endangered species. Organizers gathered in prayer at and for Quitobaquito Springs earlier this summer, and continue to monitor the destructive path of border wall construction as it creeps closer. Pray for continued resistance and take action by calling your representatives to stop border construction in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. 

If you want collaboration in mobilizing your community to support the struggle against the border wall in prayerful, material, or physical ways, reach out to our staff organizer Kohenet molly block at molly@dismantlediscovery.org.

Welcome to He Sapa: Virtual Roundtable

Vi rtual Roundtable - Friday, Oct 9, 2026 | 2pm ET / 11am PT |  RSVP on Zoom

 

What does it mean to call the Black Hills "He Sapa"? What’s at stake in the intergenerational struggle to protect it from mining and mineral exploration? And how can public art intervene in the story presented to millions of visitors each year?

 

Held in conjunction with the billboard campaign, this roundtable brings together Lakota artists, activists, and knowledge-holders to situate present-day mining struggles within generations of Indigenous-led resistance to extraction and dispossession.

 

The conversation will explore how art, organizing, direct action, and intergenerational knowledge carry histories of resistance into the ongoing work to reclaim, protect, and steward the land for future generations.

 

Speakers: 

• Madonna Thunder Hawk (Oohenumpa Lakota), matriarch, American Indian Movement activist, and co-founder of Women of All Red Nations and Warrior Women Project
• Marty Two Bulls Jr. (Oglala Lakota) , interdisciplinary artist, educator, curator, and an inaugural Artist Laureate of the Oglala Sioux Tribe
• Taylor Gunhammer (Oglala Lakota) , activist, community organizer, and contributor to The Other 250 counter-atlas

This is a Words Are Monuments  event produced by The Natural History Museum . Made possible with support from the Mellon Foundation and 4Culture.

"Unquiet in the Land"

A story of Mennonite organizing against Uranium mining

The cartoon, 'Unquiet in the Land', by Jonathan Dyck and Josiah Neufeld tells the story of local resistance against uranium mining in Warman, Saskatchewan during the 70s. What can we learn from their success at halting the establishment of a uranium refinery in their community?

 

Over the past few months, Coalition organizers have been building relationships with Lakota activists in South Dakota in support of local organizing against extractive threats to Paha Sapa / He Sapa (the Black Hills). This includes resistance to uranium mining projects. As you read the story of Nettie Wiebe and the Warman community, c onsider:

• How did relationships play a key part of Nettie Wiebe's organizing? How did she engage in relational organizing?
• What strategies did Nettie and organizers use to connect with and educate their community about uranium mining?
• What lessons from Nettie and her community's resistance to uranium mining can inspire us today? Where do you see yourself and your community showing up in this work?

Looking for how to plug-in? Want to learn more about the Coalition? Join our next Volunteer Orientation on  October 15th from 4-5:30 PST / 5-6:30 MST / 6-7:30 CST / 7-8:30 EST. You can register below for the zoom link!

Our next two Coffee Hours - hosted by Coalition staff - will be Wednesday, September 30th and October 28th at 9:00 am PST / 10:00 am MST / 11:00 am CST / 12:00 pm EST.   Grab a hot beverage of your choice and bring your questions as we spend time in community together. Register for the link below to join!

  Resource Corner

• First America, The Course: Indigenous History for Collective Liberation
  • As the USA celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, activist and writer Rebecca Nagle (Cherokee) released the First America podcast to tell the true story of this country's founding. Now, First America The Course offers a six session immersive course to unpack these lessons with guest speakers and teachers. Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on social engagement, Indigenous sovereignty, and solidarity-based organizing for meaningful, social change.  Learn more and register for the course
• Decolonizing & Organizing for Systems Change Training in October:
  • Register for Module 1 on Thursday, October 8  from 4:00pm - 6:00pm PT / 5:00pm - 7:00pm MT / 6:00pm - 8:00pm CT / 7:00pm - 9:00pm ET
  • Register for Module 2 on Saturday, October 10  from 9:00am - 11:00am PT / 10:00am - 12:00pm MT / 11:00am - 1:00pm CT / 12:00pm - 2:00pm ET
  • Learn more and see our full schedule at tinyurl.com/Trainings2026
• Read the latest calls to action and reflections from the   Coalition Blog:
  • "What the bears teach us: A reflection on Truth"   by Amanda Pittman (Episcopal Organizer) 
• From Sarah and Sheri's Substack: 
  • Walking Through Baldwin's Door - On settler innocence, tragic beauty, and honest reckoning
  • AI and the Earth: Ecological and Human Costs
• Listen to the start of Season 5 of the Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Podcast

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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The Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Coalition is fiscally sponsored by and a ministry partner of the Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference (PSMC).

 

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