Overview
- Pope Leo XIV presented the items to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, including a famed Inuit kayak, wampum belts, war clubs and ceremonial masks.
- The artifacts were sent to Rome for the 1925 Missionary Exhibition and kept in the Anima Mundi collection, which scholars and Indigenous leaders say includes objects not freely given.
- The pieces will go first to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau for expert review with Indigenous communities to identify origins and determine final custody.
- A CCCB spokesperson said the shipment will move via Montreal on December 6, and Canadian church leaders pledged proper care with the goal of communities becoming the ultimate guardians.
- The handover follows Indigenous leaders’ 2022 appeals to Pope Francis and the Vatican’s 2023 repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery, with Canada’s envoy Joyce Napier calling the step significant for reconciliation.