Petition the Pope: Call to Action

In 2015, Pope Francis published Laudato Si’, his encyclical acknowledging the climate crisis and extolling his flock to consciously act in accordance with Unci Maka, our Grandmother Earth. Then, in 2022, he visited Canada and apologized for the genocide of First Nations peoples in residential schools at the hands of the Catholic Church. Finally, in 2023, the pope denounced the Doctrine of Discovery, 15th century papal bulls responsible for underpinning centuries of colonization of Indigenous lands under European banners in the name of the Christian God.

What, you may ask, do all of those things have in common? First, they show a willingness by the Church’s most progressive pope to rectify the Catholic Church’s sins of the past and work to create a more livable and just future. Second, they’re words that demand further action. That’s why we hope you’ll join us in asking the pope to take the next step and return sacred lands to Indigenous hands. Please sign and share our petition to Pope Francis today.

The pope’s apparent desires to make recompense for the Church’s historic role in the genocide of Indigenous People and have his flock live with more respect for the Earth go hand in hand. As you well know, we have always known how to live in harmony with our natural surroundings, with a deep understanding of our own relationship to all living things. My ancestors fought the colonizers, and with respect for their sacrifice, I have stood up to Big Oil and all who disrupt the natural balance or threaten our communities. I also take the stance that we must build alliances — even unlikely ones — to create the future we want for our next generations.

Therefore it makes perfect sense for us to take the lead in encouraging the pope to work with Native nations to return sacred lands to Indigenous stewardship — and also with state governments who have benefitted through the centuries from their affiliation with the Church. Let me be clear about those benefits: it is no overstatement to say that the Doctrine of Discovery underpins both Federal Indian Law and property law here in the United States. Virtually every aspect of the legal system we encounter as Native People has been set up to keep us down — from day one into the foreseeable future.

But we won’t be kept down. Let us be united, creative, and diligent in seeking remedies that can benefit not just Indigenous communities, but everyone who shares space with us in this world.

Wopila tanka — thank you for your care and advocacy!
Chase Iron Eyes
Director and Lead Counsel
The Lakota People’s Law Project

P.S. Tell the pope: direct the Church to work with Indigenous communities and state governments to return sacred lands to Indigenous hands and stewardship. The world we want for our children’s future depends on all of us working together right now.