On Constitution Day, September 17, 2023, I attended a talk at the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown, NY by Justice Mark Montour, the first Indigenous person to be appointed to to serve anywhere in New York State's Appellate Division.
He introduced himself as a member of the Mohawk Nation with ties to Kahnawake and Akwesasne.
After explaining the Gano:nyok (Thanksgiving Address) and how he used it each day to set himself in "a Good Mind," he began to talk about the Papal Bull of 1452 that led up to the Doctrine of Discovery, which opened up the non-Christian worlds to colonialism, extractive industries, chattel slavery, and invasion.
I was inspired at that moment, here is my sketch...
After making a maquette out of modelling clay with a formula of oil and clay provided to me by sculptor Glenn Zweygardt. Soon after, I plucked up the courage and began to work on the actual piece in clay to manifest the pedestal and the "Bull."
It is June 24, 2024 and the bull is attached to the base!
It took forever for me to find the right positioning, feel okay with the anatomical features of the bull, and then ensure that the separate pieces were the same consistency so as to attach them.
Multiple times, I would moisten the various connecting parts and plan to do the smoothing out later once the consistency matched. Ultimately, however, I put the actual connecting off with some lame excuse about it being too cold to be in the studio, or having to do some menial task, that would have been waiting for me regardless had I just got my creative work done.
The lesson, plan to do the thing and then DO THE THING!
Needless to say, I finally connected the two pieces! :)
Then came the research, of which I have been doing since last November (2023)!
Here is some of the imagery that I plan to transfer tonight!
And then there's the text!
Alexander, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to the illustrious sovereigns, our very dear son in Christ, Ferdinand, king, and our very dear daughter in Christ, Isabella, queen of Castile, Leon, Aragon, Sicily, and Granada, health and apostolic benediction. Among other works well pleasing to the Divine Majesty and cherished of our heart, this assuredly ranks highest, that in our times especially the Catholic faith and the Christian religion be exalted and be everywhere increased and spread, that the health of souls be cared for and that barbarous nations be overthrown and brought to the faith itself.
And, in order that you may enter upon so great an undertaking with greater readiness and heartiness endowed with the benefit of our apostolic favor, we, of our own accord, not at your instance nor the request of anyone else in your regard, but of our own sole largess and certain knowledge and out of the fullness of our apostolic power, by the authority of Almighty God conferred upon us in blessed Peter and of the vicarship of Jesus Christ, which we hold on earth, do by tenor of these presents, should any of said islands have been found by your envoys and captains, give, grant, and assign to you and your heirs and successors, kings of Castile and Leon, forever, together with all their dominions, cities, camps, places, and villages, and all rights, jurisdictions, and appurtenances, all islands and mainlands found and to be found, discovered and to be discovered towards the west and south, by drawing and establishing a line from the Arctic pole, namely the north, to the Antarctic pole, namely the south, no matter whether the said mainlands and islands are found and to be found in the direction of India or towards any other quarter, the said line to be distant one hundred leagues towards the west and south from any of the islands commonly known as the Azores and Cape Verde….
Moreover we command you in virtue of holy obedience that, employing all due diligence in the premises, as you also promise — nor do we doubt your compliance therein in accordance with your loyalty and royal greatness of spirit — you should appoint to the aforesaid mainlands and islands worthy, God-fearing, learned, skilled, and experienced men, in order to instruct the aforesaid inhabitants and residents in the Catholic faith and train them in good morals.
...by drawing and establishing a line from the Arctic pole to the Antarctic pole, no matter whether the mainlands and islands, found and to be found, lie in the direction of India or toward any other quarter whatsoever, the said line to be distant one hundred leagues towards the west and south, as is aforesaid, from any of the islands commonly known as the Azores and Cape Verde; apostolic constitutions and ordinances and other decrees whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding.
We trust in Him from whom empires and governments and all good things proceed, that, should you, with the Lord’s guidance, pursue this holy and praiseworthy undertaking, in a short while your hardships and endeavors will attain the most felicitous result, to the happiness and glory of all Christendom.
Let no one, therefore, infringe, or with rash boldness contravene, this our recommendation, exhortation, requisition, gift, grant, assignment, constitution, deputation, decree, mandate, prohibition, and will.
Should anyone presume to attempt this, be it known to him that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul.
God(dess) willing (whom I plan to manifest) the transfer will be done tonight!
Stay tuned for updates.
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