Land title for settlers rested on denying Native people’s humanity and religion.

Evidence

“The Doctrine of Discovery perpetuates and legitimizes Christians’ rationale that their beliefs were more civilized than Indians’,” he said. “I find it fascinating that some of the rationale in this case and what supported the doctrine at the time (virgin land, demons, sacrilegious beliefs, not considering Indians real people, were not humanity) so the land is ours and we can trample on it.” — Renae Ditmer, Johnson v. M’Intosh, 38

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to Muslims in the Western Imagination’s thesis that dehumanizing the Other licenses expropriation and violence.