Erica Littlewolf, coordinator of the Indigenous Visioning Center for Mennonite Central Committee (Central States) will bring two programs to Bluffton University on Nov. 28.
Littlewolf will present, “Doctrine of Discovery: A Living History,” during Forum at 11 a.m. in Yoder Recital Hall. During the presentation, Littlewolf, who is Northern Cheyenne, will explain how the 15th century Christian doctrine continues to shape United States policies toward Native Americans.
At 7 p.m. in Marbeck Center’s Kreider Room, Littlewolf along with Karin Kaufman Wall, peace and justice education coordinator for Mennonite Central Committee (Central States), will present, “The Loss of Turtle Island,” a participatory learning experience that depicts the historic relationship between European settlers – including Mennonites – and the Indigenous nations, the original inhabitants of the land we now call the United States of America.
During the second presentation, blankets will represent the land and participants represent distinct Indigenous nations who experienced colonization, genocide, broken treaties, forced removal, assimilation and termination – all in the spirit of the Doctrine of Discovery.
