Resisting Extractive Logic: A Conversation with Sarah Augustine and Sheri Hostetler from the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery

Molly Johnson (MJ) spoke with Sarah Augustine (SA) and Sheri Hostetler (SH) on their work with the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery. Their leadership is a shining example of action for climate justice and faithful resilience. ​

MJ: What is the vision of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery? 

SA: The Coalition organizes people of faith, particularly Christians but not exclusively, to be part of a movement that resists extraction and extractive logic. Extractive logic is the idea that you can have dominion over Creation and take what you want without consequence. Extractive logic is the root of colonization and the colonial project. We resist that concept and the threats to the life support systems of Earth. We resist threats to Indigenous peoples who are the most vulnerable and on the frontlines of impact. Climate change is one example - we understand that climate change is not the issue itself, but an impact of extractive logic and a symptom of ecological overshoot. At the Coalition, we have a ground up approach and a posture of decolonization, rematriation (land return), and indigenization (viewing reality with Indigenous cosmologies and worldviews). We engage with Indigenous peoples and completely follow their movements and leadership. As people of faith who were the beneficiaries of colonization, we also work to dismantle laws and policies that damage Indigenous communities and all of Earth. The dismantling is really the work of the church to do. ​

In February Sarah Augustine visited Portland Mennonite Church, a relatively new Repair Congregation in the Coalition's Repair Network. She is pictured with Gordon Wiens holding a copy of her and Sheri's new book.

In February two volunteers with the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery, Jon Zirkle and Tim Nafziger, participated in the 10th annual Run for Oak Flat organized by Apache Stronghold. Apache Stronghold is one of our Indigenous partners.

MJ: What are some of the initiatives of your Coalition? 

SH: Our Coalition focuses on dismantling structures of the extractive economic system designed to remove Indigenous peoples from their land. We resist that removal in solidarity with Indigenous-led movements. We are in solidarity with the Apache Stronghold who are resisting a copper mine that will destroy their sacred lands of Oak Flat (Chíchʼil Bił Dagoteel). We also are in solidarity with the Maya people of Colectivo In Laak Le Ixiimó (CILLI), who are preserving their lifeways and foods.
We also focus on envisioning and building new economic and cultural systems that meet the needs of people and the planet. In our latest book, we discuss capital “R” Reality, meaning the ecological reality and way of living in right relationship with land, so that one can sustain life. 

SA: We make the argument that the “real world” people often refer to is the true fallacy.  Capitalism and all of its trappings is a strange and short-lived experiment. The Coalition calls us to wake up to the Reality of the life support systems of Earth.

SH: This Reality has been known by Indigenous land and water protectors for all this time. However, it also extends to everyone, including those of us who are or were formally the beneficiaries of the extractive system. There are 9 key planetary boundaries that we cannot cross. Climate change is only one boundary and it’s one of 6 that we have already crossed. Climate change is a symptom of this larger problem of ecological overshoot. ​

MJ: What are your thoughts on “green colonialism” and its connection to methods to address climate change?

SA: A recent Guardian article reported that U.S. conversion to electric vehicles alone will triple the global demand for lithium. There are already Indigenous activists who are being kidnapped and murdered defending the land in this “white gold rush”. How is that a solution? We must stop the extraction of copper and lithium for this “green economy”. We need clever solutions - not responses that feed consumerism. Our role in life is often reduced to that of the consumer. It’s a fallacy that tells us we can consume either the “bad thing” or the “good thing”. We are not consumers. We are Children of God, with the living spirit of God in our bodies! My Tewa mentor, says a human soul has the amperage of a star and every single human being walking around has the power of a star within - a star is a whole sun! To reduce people to a consumer is a massive sleeping agent for inaction.
Counter to the modern strange theology of the “personal Jesus”, that we are individuals who do our singular part, we truly are free beings, capable of working together to change the world. Extractive laws and policies were created by human beings no more clever or smart than us. We could choose to wake up and do something different. 

SH: It's a “both/and” - to live in a world where you have to make choices about consumption but place that in the context of a much larger paradigm shift. We are paradigm activists seeking to change the laws and policies around those ideas. As people of faith, we have to promote life-positive solutions. 

These are members of the Coalition's Maya-Solidarity working group. After sending a delegation last summer to visit our Mayan partners, this group has been invited back to attend their annual seed festival in May.

MJ: What would you tell someone interested in pursuing a similar vision as you? And how could they get involved in your work? 

SA: Join us if you want to! Or if you want to do your own thing, how can we support you? We are rapidly growing and work with the Episcopal Church, Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, Evangelical Lutherans, Catholic communities and more. We create resources because we want to change the world, so we want to collaborate with you! Learn more.

This blogpost is part of our Faithful Resilience Series. For more resources and information about Faithful Resilience, visit creationjustice.org/resilience.