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Vatican returns 62 Indigenous artefacts to Canada after century in Rome
The Vatican has repatriated 62 Indigenous artefacts to Canada, a century after they were removed from tribal communities for display in a Rome missionary museum, officials announced Saturday. The items-including an Inuit kayak used for whale hunting and embroidered Cree Nation gloves-were formally handed over by Pope Leo XIV to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), which will facilitate their return to original communities.
Historic restitution follows 2022 apology
The transfer marks a tangible step in reconciliation three years after Pope Francis issued a landmark apology to Canada's First Nations for the Catholic Church's role in the "genocide" and cultural suppression tied to residential schools. A joint Vatican-CCCB statement framed the restitution as a "concrete sign of dialogue, respect, and fraternity," noting the artefacts "embody the encounter between faith and Indigenous cultures."
Many items were sent to Rome by missionaries for a 1925 exhibition showcasing over 100,000 objects. Critics argue the term "gifts," used by the Church to describe their acquisition, obscures the coercive context: Canadian law and Catholic edicts at the time banned Indigenous spiritual practices, effectively criminalizing ceremonial items.
Logistics and next steps
The artefacts, currently stored in Rome, will be flown to Canada on 6 December, Canada's ambassador to the Holy See told CBC News. The CCCB will transfer custody to National Indigenous Organizations, which will oversee their return to communities of origin. Repatriation costs were prepaid by the tribes, who plan to hold ceremonies before formal handover, according to CBC.
"This is an important step that honors the diverse cultural heritage of Indigenous peoples and supports ongoing efforts toward truth, justice, and reconciliation."
Canadian Foreign Minister (statement)
Background: A century of displacement
The items were held in the Vatican's Anima Mundi ethnographic collection, part of its broader missionary museum. Their removal coincided with systemic bans on Indigenous ceremonies-a policy enforced by both colonial authorities and Church decrees. The 2022 "penitential pilgrimage" by Pope Francis, during which tribal leaders requested artefact returns, underscored lingering tensions over historical injustices.
Contested narratives
While the Vatican describes the items as voluntary "gifts" from tribal leaders, historians and Indigenous advocates highlight the power imbalances of the era. The artefacts' original transfer occurred amid legal prohibitions on Indigenous spiritual expressions, raising questions about consent and ownership.
