The Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Podcast

In this second part of our interview with Coalition Chaplain Debbie Royals, we continue our discussion of colonized/colonizing worship and the need for spiritual care in our work. This is a work in progress, as we together seek to realign ourselves with the Creator and Creation through worship. Debbie is Pascua Yaqui from Tucson, AZ, a sister, mother to two wonderful young men and grandmother to four. She is an Episcopal priest, author, retreat leader and educator. Debbie earned a diploma in Nursing, a B.A. in Native American Spirituality and Theology from Prescott College, an M.Div. from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific and a M.A. in Religion and Society from the Graduate Theological Union. She serves as the Canon for Native American Ministry in the Diocese of Arizona and is developing a“new church community called Four Winds serving Indigenous people. Debbie led the Indigenous Theological Training Institute for 10 years and published several journals with Indigenous theologians. She has published in books on prayer and daily meditations. Debbie has navigated the divide by forming a bridge as a Native American spiritual leader and Episcopal priest. Her passion for restorative justice and binding community is evident in every aspect of her life. Watch video recordings of this and other episodes from Season 4 of the Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Podcast on our YouTube Channel. Show Notes: Decolonizing Worship happens the last Friday of every month at 1:00 p.m. PT / 4:00 p.m. ET. Register for the Zoom link Sarah and Sheri’s book: So That We and Our Children May Live: Following Jesus in Confronting the Climate Crisis Sarah and Sheri’s Substack: So That We and Our Children May Live You can follow the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery on Instagram (@coalitiontodismantle) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/dismantlediscovery).

In the Indigenous Speaker Series being released on the Coalition website we asked Indigenous thought-leaders to reflect with us about what might comprise ecologically successful systems. Sarah and Sheri discuss some clips from Sarah’s interview with Tela Troge of the Shinnecock Nation. Tela Loretta Troge, Esq. is a member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation and a member of the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Tribe. Tela is the director of the Shinnecock Kelp Farmers and the Niamuck Land Trust. She recently organized the Warriors of the Sunrise Sovereignty Camp 2020 in an attempt to raise awareness about the plight of the Shinnecock people. Tela graduated from Michigan State University College of Law with a Juris Doctor and certification in Indigenous Law and Policy from the Indigenous Law Program. She has been fighting for tribal sovereignty for the past 11 years as the attorney with the Law Offices of Tela L. Troge, PLLC. Watch video recordings of this and other episodes from Season 4 of the Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Podcast on our YouTube Channel. Show notes: Access the Indigenous Speaker Series on the DDoD website Watch Tela’s Indigenous Speaker Series video/interview Sarah’s Substack article about the Shinnecock Nation: Support the Shinnecock Right to Self-Determination Sign up for a New Coalition Volunteer Orientation and/or a Coffee Hour Sign up to receive our Newsletter Prayers for Shinnecock and other Coalition campaigns Sarah and Sheri’s book: So That We and Our Children May Live: Following Jesus in Confronting the Climate Crisis Sarah and Sheri’s Substack: So That We and Our Children May Live You can follow the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery on Instagram (@coalitiontodismantle) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/dismantlediscovery)

The Coalition has hired a Chaplain! Debbie Royals is piloting this new position, to feel out the possibilities of providing decolonizing worship and spiritual care to our growing movement. In this episode, we talk about what colonized/colonizing worship is and, thus, what constitutes decolonized/decolonizing worship. This is a work in progress, as we together seek to realign ourselves with the Creator and Creation through worship. Debbie is Pascua Yaqui from Tucson, AZ, a sister, mother to two wonderful young men and grandmother to four. She is an Episcopal priest, author, retreat leader and educator. Debbie earned a diploma in Nursing, a B.A. in Native American Spirituality and Theology from Prescott College, an M.Div. from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific and a M.A. in Religion and Society from the Graduate Theological Union. She serves as the Canon for Native American Ministry in the Diocese of Arizona and is developing a“new church community called Four Winds serving Indigenous people. Debbie led the Indigenous Theological Training Institute for 10 years and published several journals with Indigenous theologians. She has published in books on prayer and daily meditations. Debbie has navigated the divide by forming a bridge as a Native American spiritual leader and Episcopal priest. Her passion for restorative justice and binding community is evident in every aspect of her life. Watch video recordings of this and other episodes from Season 4 of the Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Podcast on our YouTube Channel. Show Notes: Decolonizing Worship happens the last Friday of every month at 1:00 p.m. PT / 4:00 p.m. ET. You can sign up through this calendar link by clicking on the event. Sarah and Sheri’s book: So That We and Our Children May Live: Following Jesus in Confronting the Climate Crisis Sarah and Sheri’s Substack: So That We and Our Children May Live You can follow the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery on Instagram (@coalitiontodismantle) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/dismantlediscovery).

As groups that came out of Mennonite organizing, Mennonite Action and the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery share similar values. Like our shared commitment towards decolonization. Learn about the origins of Mennonite Action and how the story of Anabaptism has inspired, and sometimes hindered, public organizing in this interview with Jonathan Smucker and Tim Nafziger. Jonathan Smucker has worked for over twenty-five years as a political organizer, campaigner, and strategist. He is the co-founder of Popular Comms Institute, PA Stands Up, Lancaster Stands Up, Common Defense, Beyond the Choir, and Mennonite Action. He is a PhD candidate in sociology at University of California, Berkeley and author of Hegemony How-To: A Roadmap for Radicals. Tim Nafziger lives in the Ventura River watershed on the traditional lands of the Chumash people in southern California. He has been organizing for peace and justice in Mennonite communities for 27 years, including with the Coalition and Mennonite Action. He enjoys writing, board games and photography and works professionally as a digital marketing consultant. Watch video recordings of this and other episodes from Season 4 of the Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Podcast on our YouTube Channel Show Notes: “The Courage to Enter the Song,” written by Sarah Augustine, Tim Nafziger and Jonathan Smucker. “Beyond Blaurock: The Other Origin Story of Anabaptism,” by Tim Nafziger. A good article on Mennonite Action and its founding: “I Was Arrested While Singing Hymns for Ceasefire in Gaze.” “The Movement Makes Us Human, An Interview with Dr. Vincent Harding on Mennonites, Vietnam, and MLK,” by Joanna Shenk. Mennonite Action’s website “Front Light” - A Mennonite Action Podcast Sarah’s and my book: So That We and Our Children May Live: Following Jesus in Confronting the Climate Crisis Sarah’s and my Substack: So That We and Our Children May Live You can follow the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery on Instagram (@coalitiontodismantle) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/dismantlediscovery)

Episode 4: “Ask an Indian” with Patty Krawec: Things White People Say In this episode of “Ask an Indian” Sarah and her guest, Patty Krawec, answer one big question: “What do white people say to you that you sometimes get impatient with?” Patty Krawec is an Anishinaabe and Ukranian writer from Lac Seul First Nation. She is the author of the compelling book, Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining our Future, released in 2022. She is also the cohost of the Medicine for the Resistance podcast and the cofounder of the Nii’kinaaganaa Foundation. We’re also very honored that Patty wrote a beautiful forward for our book. Patty’s website and Substack In this recurring episode, Sarah and her guest answer questions from listeners. Watch video recordings of this and other episodes from Season 4 of the Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Podcast on our YouTube Channel Show notes: Sarah’s and my book: So That We and Our Children May Live: Following Jesus in Confronting the Climate Crisis Sarah’s and my Substack: So That We and Our Children May Live You can follow the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery on Instagram (@coalitiontodismantle) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/dismantlediscovery)