In 1493, Pope Alexander VI issued an edict - now known as The Doctrine of Discovery - to justify the future land and waterway claims of European explorers. The ideology dehumanized Indigenous populations, justifying murder and forced assimilation. Years later, the Doctrine continued to shape seminal constructs (Manifest Destiny) and Supreme Court cases, including 1823’s Johnson v. M'Intosh, which was used to evict Native people from their lands.

Fast forward to 2016. Bismarck, ND. The Standing Rock Reservation burst onto the world’s radar during the Dakota Access Pipeline Protests. People came from far and wide to stand in solidarity with Native communities who considered the oil pipeline a threat to their water, sacred burial grounds and historically significant cultural sites. Rev. John Floberg, an Episcopal Clergy who has served on the reservation for 31 years, invited 100 faith leaders around the country to join a day of solidarity. More than 500 leaders from 20 different faiths showed up - and during a key moment of lament and conviction, many gathered around a campfire to burn copies of the Doctrine of Discovery.

Are We There YET is being screened by Churches, Non-profits, Campus Ministries and Seminaries all around the country!

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American Christianity has a complicated history of power, abuse, oppression and discrimination.

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In what ways is the Doctrine of Discovery alive and well in the values and behaviors of Contemporary Christians? Are its tenets so embedded that we should’ve foreseen the events of January 6th, and the rise of White Christian Nationalism?

It’s been said that in order to salvage the American Democratic Experiment, Christians will have to chart a new course. But are they too far gone? The film journeys to discover what it could look like for contemporary Christians to finally break with the past, and usher in a new day for both Christianity and America at large.