Vatican to Return Dozens of Indigenous Artifacts to Canada
VATICAN CITY – The vatican is preparing to return dozens of cultural artifacts to Canada, a move hailed as a meaningful step towards reconciliation with Indigenous communities. The repatriation follows a request made during Pope Francis’s visit to Canada in 2022, where he delivered an apology for the Catholic Church’s role in the country’s residential school system.
The artifacts, currently held in the Vatican Museum’s Anima Mundi collection, originated from various communities across Canada and were initially sent to Rome for a 1925 exhibition featuring over 100,000 items. Among the items slated for return are an Inuit kayak historically used for whale hunting and a set of embroidered gloves from the Cree nation.
While the Vatican has described the items as “gifts” from tribal leaders, this characterization has been challenged due to the ancient power dynamics at the time of their transfer. The artifacts were removed from Canada during a period when both Canadian law and Catholic decrees suppressed Indigenous spiritual practices, effectively banning ceremonial objects.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) stated the artifacts “bear witness to the history of the encounter between faith and the cultures of the Indigenous peoples.”
Canada’s ambassador to the Holy See told CBC News that the items are currently in storage in Rome and will be flown back to Canada on December 6th. The cost of repatriation has been covered by the tribes themselves, who plan to hold ceremonies before the official return.
Upon arrival, the artifacts will be transferred to Canada’s National Indigenous Organizations, which will oversee their return to their communities of origin.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly praised the move, calling it ”an crucial step that honours the diverse cultural heritage of Indigenous peoples and supports ongoing efforts toward truth, justice, and reconciliation.”
