Indigenous advocate Gilbert Whiteduck emphasizes the significance of repatriating Indigenous artifacts from the Vatican museum as a crucial step toward reconciliation. However, he stresses the importance of handling these items with utmost respect for their sacred nature.
Whiteduck, who serves as the education director for Kitigan Zibi Anishinābeg, highlights the need for ceremonial preparations before the artifacts can be returned to their original communities. Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak also announced discussions for the repatriation of First Nations items from the Vatican Museums.
Efforts are underway for the Canadian Catholic Church and the Vatican to finalize an agreement to return the artifacts by the end of the year, facilitated by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). Despite this progress, Whiteduck expresses a lack of official information on the discussions and the specific items earmarked for return to Indigenous communities.
The planned transfer of artifacts in a “church-to-church” donation process is met with criticism by Cheyenne Lazore, who advocates for a transparent identification process to ensure each item is rightfully returned to its respective nation. The artifacts will initially be housed at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., where Indigenous representatives will assist in determining their final destinations.
Indigenous organizations have long been advocating for the return of artifacts taken from their communities during the residential school era. A delegation of Indigenous leaders in Canada met with Pope Francis in 2022, renewing calls for repatriation following the appointment of Pope Leo XIV. Whiteduck emphasizes the need to understand the historical significance of these artifacts and their importance to Indigenous communities.
The potential return of these items to individual communities is viewed by Lazore as a step toward peace, although full reconciliation remains a distant goal. Many of the Indigenous artifacts held at the Vatican were donated in the 1920s at the request of Pope Pius XI from Catholic missions worldwide, contributing to the Vatican’s extensive collection. These artifacts include a human face mask from Haida Gwaii, an Inuvialuit kayak, and a pair of beaded moccasins.