Vatican Repatriates Seized Indigenous Artifacts to Canada

In a significant gesture of reconciliation, the Vatican has returned 62 artifacts to Indigenous peoples from Canada. The items were part of the Vatican Museum's ethnographic collection, known as the Anima Mundi museum, and were originally sent to Rome by Catholic missionaries for a 1925 exhibition.

The repatriation is a concrete step in the Catholic Church's reckoning with its historical role in suppressing Indigenous culture in the Americas. During the colonial era, Catholic religious orders were instrumental in enforcing the Canadian government's forced assimilation policy, which the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has described as "cultural genocide."

The artifacts, including Inuit kayaks, wampum belts, war clubs, and masks, were formally handed over by Pope Leo XIV to a delegation from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Vatican has stated that the return of these items is a "concrete sign of dialogue, respect and fraternity" between the Church and Indigenous communities.

The negotiations for the repatriation of these cultural treasures accelerated after Pope Francis met with Indigenous leaders in 2022 and expressed his support for returning such items on a case-by-case basis. The Canadian bishops have committed to ensuring the artifacts are "properly safeguarded, respected and preserved" by the Indigenous communities themselves.