Open House and Panel Discussion on Doctrine of Discovery to Be Held April 16 at Skä•noñh – Great Law of Peace Center

Members of the campus community are invited to the Skä•noñh – Great Law of Peace Center on Saturday, April 16, for an open house, lunch and panel discussion titled “The Doctrine of Discovery: The Most Influential ‘Law’ You’ve Never Heard Of.”

Co-sponsored by the Graduate Student Organization, Indigenous Values Initiative, Hendricks Chapel and Skä•noñh – Great Law of Peace Center, this educational event is an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to honor and learn from the people who have lived in this area the longest and have much to teach.

“This event is a great opportunity for Syracuse students to connect and learn from Haudenosaunee people,” says Danielle Smith ’19, G’20, Onondaga Nation, Hawk clan. “The University is currently situated within unceded Onondaga Nation land and this event at Skä•noñh Center offers a free look into how Indigenous people were forcibly removed from their original lands and the law that still enforces dispossession.”

“Haudenosaunee knowledge of this place can anchor the academic work that we do,” adds Sarah Nahar, a Ph.D. candidate in religion in the College of Arts and Sciences and environmental studies at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and one of the event organizers. “By locating our work historically, socially and environmentally, we have a better chance of making a positive difference with the material of our degrees.”

The open house is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with lunch and the panel discussion planned for noon to 1:30 p.m. All students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend. Free transportation will be available to students between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. from College Place to Skä•noñh – Great Law of Peace Center, located at 6680 Onondaga Lake Parkway in Liverpool. Participants can register in advance and reserve a time for their tour of the center.

The panel discussion is on the Doctrine of Discovery, a set of royal and papal declarations in the 15th century that created a rationale for European Christians to seize lands globally and displace Indigenous peoples they found upon arrival. Participants will discuss the history and consequences of the Doctrine of Discovery and reflect upon the Haudenosaunee commitment to Skä·noñh, which is a welcoming greeting meaning peace and wellness. A complimentary lunch prepared by an Indigenous chef will be provided.

“The food will be delicious and the stories life-changing. I hope that attendees gain knowledge about what a special place Onondaga Lake is, as well as a willingness to listen to the stories of creative Indigenous interaction with the early colonists of the United States,” says Nahar. “Spurred to action by the stories, I hope participants will commit themselves to the ongoing work of righting past wrongs, toward a shared future with equity for all.”

This event is partially funded by a grant received by Professor Philip Arnold, associate professor and chair of the Department of Religion and president of the Indigenous Values Initiative, from the Henry Luce Foundation to examine and challenge the theology and legal theory of the Doctrine of Discovery.

Contact Sarah Nahar at senahar@syr.edu with any questions.