Behind the Bastards It Could Happen Here Weekly 204
Oct 18, 2025
Dahlia Killsback, a Northern Cheyenne tribal citizen and expert in federal Indian policy, discusses Indigenous Peoples Day's significance and the historical implications of the doctrine of discovery. She examines colonialism's roots, federal policy evolution, and ongoing treaty violations while proposing ways to support tribal sovereignty. A reporter unpacks Title 42's role in border enforcement, highlighting the harsh realities faced by expelled migrants and the systemic issues within the immigration system. Personal stories and mutual aid responses bring a humanizing perspective to the ongoing crisis.
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Why Indigenous Peoples Day Matters
- Indigenous Peoples Day replaces Columbus Day to center the lives and contributions of native peoples rather than celebrating genocidal colonizers.
- Federal Indian policy flows from colonial doctrines like the Doctrine of Discovery that justified dispossession and paternalism.
Doctrine Of Discovery Still Frames Policy
- The Doctrine of Discovery legally conveyed title to European nations and later the U.S., framing Native peoples as occupants without proper property concepts.
- That legal idea created the rationale for federal guardianship over tribal lands and limited tribal sovereignty.
The Pendulum of Federal Indian Policy
- Federal Indian policy has swung through eras: removal, reservation, allotment, reorganization, termination, and self-determination.
- Each era reshaped sovereignty and land rights while often prioritizing settler expansion over treaty obligations.