Holy See Completes Repatriation of 62 Indigenous Canadian Artifacts in Reconciliation Effort

The Vatican officially concluded the repatriation of 62 cultural heritage items belonging to Canada's Indigenous peoples on November 15, 2025. This significant action forms a crucial component of the ongoing reconciliation dialogue between the Holy See and North American Indigenous communities, marking a pivotal moment in addressing historical wrongs.

The artifacts were personally transferred by Pope Leo XIV to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops during a ceremony held at the Vatican. A joint statement released by the parties characterized the act as a “concrete sign of dialogue, respect, and fraternity.” Furthermore, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand hailed the move as a “major milestone that honors the diverse cultural heritage of Indigenous peoples and supports the current efforts toward truth, justice, and reconciliation.”

The transferred objects—which notably include an Inuit kayak, several wampum belts, war clubs, and ritual masks—had been housed for over a century within the Vatican Museums' Ethnological Missionary Museum, now known as Anima Mundi. This vast collection holds more than 80,000 items originally gathered by missionaries. These specific Canadian artifacts were initially dispatched to Rome by Catholic missionaries to be displayed at the World Missionary Exhibition, an event initiated by Pope Pius XI in 1925.

The historical impetus for this restitution stems directly from Pope Francis’s landmark visit to Canada in 2022. During that trip, the Pontiff offered a profound apology for the Church's complicity in the residential school system, which the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada had previously classified as “cultural genocide.” Following this apology, Indigenous leaders formally requested the return of culturally significant items that had been removed.

Experts and Indigenous representatives continue to voice reservations regarding the voluntary nature of the original transfer of these objects, given the inherent power dynamics exerted by missionary missions during the colonial era. The repatriation process acknowledges these historical complexities and seeks to rectify past imbalances.

Upon their arrival in Canada, the artifacts are slated to be passed from the bishops to various National Indigenous Organizations (NIOs). The current plan involves housing the items temporarily at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau. There, experts will collaborate closely with an advisory council comprising Indigenous representatives to determine the long-term stewardship and final destination of the collection. Bobby Cameron, the Chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, previously underscored the sacred importance of these objects for the healing of the affected communities. The transfer utilized a “church-to-church” framework, mirroring the successful return of fragments of the Parthenon from the Vatican to Greece in 2023.

Professor Gloria Bell of McGill University observed that this decision represents a crucial stride in acknowledging Indigenous sovereignty and initiating genuine healing processes. This repatriation, the culmination of years of complex negotiations, is expected to see the artifacts physically arrive in Canada before the close of 2025, finalizing the agreement.