Vatican returns 62 Artifacts to Indigenous Peoples in Canada
VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican returned 62 cultural artifacts to Indigenous representatives from Canada on Saturday,marking a critically important step toward reconciliation and addressing calls for the repatriation of sacred and culturally significant items. The artifacts,held in Vatican Museums collections,include ceremonial objects,textiles,and regalia.
The return fulfills a commitment made earlier this year following Pope Francis’s 2022 visit to Canada, where he apologized for the Catholic Church’s role in the country’s residential school system.
“We need to remember that thousands of Indigenous ancestors remain in the Vatican museums that need to be returned home and brought back into Indigenous care and Indigenous hands,” said Shelagh Bell, of Metis ancestry and author of “Eternal Sovereigns: Indigenous Artists, Activists, and Travelers Reframing Rome.”
The Vatican statement affirmed the Canadian catholic hierarchy’s commitment to ensuring the artifacts are “properly safeguarded, respected and preserved.”
The items will initially be transported to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, where experts and Indigenous groups will collaborate to determine thier origins – down to the specific community – and decide on their future disposition.
Bishop Pierre Goudreault,president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops,stated the return represents “the church’s ongoing friendship with Indigenous and also our desire to support Indigenous communities in accompanying younger generations in passing on and valuing their heritage.”
Canadian Ambassador to the Holy See,Joyce Napier,described the repatriation as “historic” and “something Indigenous communities have been asking for,” calling it a “significant step towards reconciliation.”
The Vatican’s actions are part of a broader process of reckoning with its colonial past,including the 2023 repudiation of the “Doctrine of Discovery,” a set of 15th-century papal bulls that legitimized the colonial seizure of Indigenous lands. While the Vatican formally rejected the doctrine, it has not yet rescinded the bulls themselves.
The Vatican connected Saturday’s return to the 2023 repudiation,stating it concludes the “journey” of dialog initiated by Pope Francis.