"THE DOCTRINE" | Film & Talk Back

Join us for a powerful evening of film and conversation at Ganondagan as we screen THE DOCTRINE followed by a special talk back with Gary Farmer (Cayuga) and director Gwendolen Cates, moderated by Ansley Jemison (Seneca). This free public event invites community members to gather, reflect, and engage with the lasting impact of the Doctrine of Discovery through Indigenous voices, storytelling, and dialogue.

Popcorn & tea will be available

About the Film:

THE DOCTRINE is a feature-length documentary film about the Doctrine of Discovery. The film follows a group of Indigenous youth in Minneapolis/St. Paul who decide to request a meeting at the Vatican to explain how the 15th-century Doctrine has impacted Indigenous Peoples and advocate for its repudiation.

Also featuring Indigenous activists in Aotearoa New Zealand, Guatemala, New Caledonia, and Puerto Rico, the film exposes how laws of conquest and colonization issued by the Vatican in the 15th-century codified slavery, racism, and the exploitation of natural resources for profit, and became international law, targeting communities of color and enabling corporate forces driving the current climate crisis. Incorporated into U.S. law in 1823, the Doctrine of Discovery was also the origin of the transatlantic slave trade.

Director/Producer - Gwendolen Cates is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer based in NYC. Her previous films include “The Good Mind” about the Onondaga Nation. Composer and Consultant - Pura Fé (Tuscarora/Taino) is a world-renowned musical artist.Producer - Robert J. Miller (Eastern Shawnee)Consulting Producers - Gary Farmer (Cayuga Nation, Wolf Clan) & N. Bruce Duthu (Houma)

Film run time: 83 minutes