The Vatican has made a significant move by repatriating 62 Indigenous cultural artifacts to Canada, a gesture that many view as a step towards healing historical wounds. These artifacts were originally acquired by Pope Pius XI during the 1925 Vatican Mission Exposition. These communities have been removed from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities well over a century ago. This amazing exposition demonstrated the Church’s global impact over 13 months. It had objects that exemplified the deep and diverse history, heritage, and culture of Indigenous peoples.
Today, the artifacts landed at Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, where they were greeted by Indigenous leaders. Perhaps the most famous object to come back is an Inuvialuit sealskin kayak from the western Arctic, known as an umiak. To further underscore its significance, it was the last offloaded from the plane. The repatriation is only a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands of colonial-era Indigenous objects languishing in the Vatican’s collections.
Historical Context and Significance
The artifacts were collected at a particularly dark chapter in the history of Canada’s Indigenous Peoples. The Church’s collection coincided with the forced erasure of Indigenous identities, marked by legislation that prohibited cultural practices and mandated attendance at church-run residential schools. The purpose of these schools was to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children. This process was designed to “kill the Indian in the child.”
Pope Francis began the repatriation process during his “penitential pilgrimage” to Canada by accepting responsibility for the wrongs done to Indigenous peoples. He was unapologetic in pointing out the terrible wrongs that were done by many Christians towards Indigenous Peoples. He pointed to the Church’s complicity in these historical injustices.
For many Indigenous peoples in Canada, the return of these artifacts is seen as a profound spiritual act. They view these items as “cultural ancestors with a sentience or life of their own,” representing a connection to their heritage and identity that has been disrupted by colonization.
Reactions from Indigenous Leaders
Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak called the event “an important and emotional moment for many First Nations across the country. She did stress that we’ve come a long way. There is considerable work left to be done to mend the frayed connections between Indigenous communities and institutions, including the Catholic Church.
Canadian Inuit leader Natan Obed had been looking forward to unboxing the items themselves. His intention was to involve Inuit leadership and experts to assist in discovering their dastardly origins. He continued, “We are very excited about unpacking the items in the next days ahead and we want Inuit leadership and experts to know where these items in each of our communities came from.”
Cody Groat, one of the activists who filed the return, thought about its importance. He admitted that even if it wasn’t a real ‘gifting’ process, this does still represent an important step in the reconciliation process. As he said, “Now, these cultural ancestors can be returned to our communities. They’ll help us continue and re-establish our cultural practices.”
Future Steps Towards Reconciliation
Their return is symbolic of the changing dynamics between the Catholic Church and Indigenous peoples. This amendment would make a significant impact both in Canada and globally. Groat said he was thrilled to see such an announcement. He continued, “It should be encouraging to see (Leo) taking such significant action so early on in his Papacy, hopefully paving the way for restored relationships.”
Indigenous leaders are cautiously optimistic as talks of reconciliation continue to grow. They hope this repatriation will set the stage for broader conversations about returning other colonial-era artifacts. The absence of a public inventory for repatriated items is particularly concerning. It is true that once returned, these artifacts can serve as a sign of progress toward righting historical wrongs.
