Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery [B0744]

2008 PB with extensive pencil underlining and notations. This analysis of how religious bias shaped U.S. federal Indian law provides a unique, well-researched challenge to U.S. federal Indian law and policy - and challenges the presumption that American Indian nations are legitimately subject to the plenary power of the United States.

From Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "The discovery of America from an occupants viewpoint. This is a great read! It traces the origins of Puritanical thinking via the Papal Bull of 1483 to the manner in which the Pilgrim discovers (i.e. invaders) landed on the front doorsteps of a continent that was thriving with multiple indigenous peoples and their cultures. The book lays out the logic of the decision to commit to the genocide of these peoples, all in the name of heaven. Oh, the wonder of righteousness! Read for yourself and make your own judgment"; "This book was not an easy read, but I think it was worth the effort. It's an academic treatment of legal theory, so I had to put in some work to understand it. Learning about cognitive theory was really interesting and has made me think about language in different ways. The Chosen People/Promised Land Model put into words some ideas that have troubled me. I don't know that I left the book with any answers or solutions, but feel like I understand some of the issues a bit better."