Winona LaDuke's Ware Lecture & Indigenous Issues

Winona LaDuke magnificently packed into < 1 hr all the issues we must address to survive as a planet, at least one populated with humans. Winona does this quite lyrically, tying all her factual points into one big circle of actions required. Did I say inspiring? She had that hall, under the dome designed with the inspiration of R. Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic principle of joined triangles, with 3 thousand UU’s all standing in awe of her passion for a society that looks far different from what you will read this AM in any Sunday paper. Winona is not content to talk about this. She wants action! Please go to the UUA web site and watch the podcast.

Winona has endorsed a UU effort to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery and to endorse the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples. She spoke about the UN Declaration and the rights still not granted to Indigenous peoples in the UU UN Workshop. She talked about colonialism and conquest at the Ware lecture (based on the Doctrine of Discovery).

A flyer was distributed to those attending the lecture to take this invitation back to their congregations. Please go to the website: www.rd-ad.org for information and actions. Indigenous Peoples nation and worldwide are asking religious movements to do this. The Episcopals as a body repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery in 2009 and Quaker meetings and Quaker organizations are joining the cause. Tarpon Springs, FL UU congregation initiated a statement of conscience on the Doctrine of Discovery in early 2009. They are the first congregation to do so. Both of these, the Doctrine and the Declaration, make weekly appearances in Indian Country today. Both are vital to the cultural preservation of indigenous peoples.

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