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05 Wolakota Project Video Transcripts and URLs.docx · WP-0175. Imported source record; individual Elder status and tribal affiliation are not inferred.
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Interview transcript
When the treaty era began, it began with the Delaware in 1778. I think it was that the first treaty was made. And then in the very beginning, the intent of the treaty imparted good philosophy from the Spanish. I believe it was a philosopher named Vittoria. He influenced the Spanish emperor, or whatever he was called in that country, because he said that if Spain came to America and came across these lands, that they would have to observe that the Indian people lived here. And they would come respectfully, and they couldn't create a war just to take the land. It wasn't ethically right to do that. So the thinking from the Spanish people was really awesome when you think about it. So they came, and that thinking prevailed for a number of years. But it changed suddenly when the Euro-American people got involved, and they came up with this doctrine of discovery, which came from some papal bulls in the church. And they said, in the doctrine of discovery, if you come across any people and you conquer them, their lands are yours. And so that began to change, completely demolishing our history. Because when the English came, they automatically asserted that this land was theirs, because they defeated us. And so I know the exciting thing about the doctrine of discovery is that the church is speaking out against it at this point in time. As we sit here in 2012, many of the churches are coming forward and saying that was a horrible philosophy to put forward on conquered people. And so it's taken this long, almost 500 years later, to address that. And so that set the whole stage for the treaty-making era. It changed drastically.