In celebration of the Jubilee of Hope declared by Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV gifted 62 cultural artifacts that had been part of the Vatican Museums’ Anima Mundi collection to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, for immediate transfer to Indigenous communities in Canada. Among the items is a rare, century-old kayak from the Western Arctic and other artifacts of cultural significance to Inuit, First Nations and Métis communities.
Leaders of the Assembly of First Nations, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Métis National Council were in Montreal to receive the gifts when they arrived in Canada. Local First Nations leadership held ceremony to welcome the sacred items and First Nations bundles back to Canada.
Elders and Residential School Survivors have worked towards this moment for many years. In 2017, First Nations-in-Assembly passed Resolution 106/2017, Support for International Repatriation of Sacred Items, mandating the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) to advocate for return of these cultural items. The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC) successfully negotiated the repatriation of the items. The organization has pressed for the return of the kayak.
“We are proud that after 100 years our Kayak is returning to the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. It is believed to be one of only five of its kind built more than a century ago, and the IRC wants it back to benefit Inuvialuit culture and communities in the Western Arctic, said Duane Ningaqsiq Smith, Chair and CEO of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. “This is a historic step in revitalizing Inuvialuit cultural identity and values within our changing northern society.”
The return of these items was the wish of Pope Francis before his passing. It is a significant step in the process of reconciliation and follows the historic apology by His Holiness in 2022 for the Catholic Church’s role in the intergenerational trauma of residential schools in Canada.
The repatriation of these artifacts underscores the dialogue that has unfolded in recent years with the Church. The items will be shipped to the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa. National Indigenous Organizations will lead work to establish the provenance of the individual artifacts.
Read the full CCCB media release here: https://www.cccb.ca/media-release/vatican-artifacts-return-to-canada/
CCCB: Vatican Artifacts Return to Canada
Written by Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is the national assembly of the Bishops of Canada.
