Vatican returns 14 Inuit artifacts as church aims for ‘renewed relationship’
Objects returned Saturday include 62 Indigenous artifacts that ended up in Roman Catholic Church’s collection over last century
Katisha Paul, a youth representative of the Tsartlip First Nation in British Columbia, centre, speaks during a ceremony in Montreal on Saturday where the 62 Indigenous artifacts returned from the Roman Catholic Church’s collection in the Vatican arrived back in Canada. Assembly of First Nations president Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, left, and other young Indigenous leaders listen in. (Photo by Cedric Gallant)
Fourteen of the 62 Indigenous artifacts the Vatican returned to Canada on Saturday are believed to be of Inuit origin, says Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Natan Obed.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Natan Obed says more investment should be made in infrastructure so items the Vatican returned Saturday to Indigenous Peoples can be properly stored. (Photo by Cedric Gallant)
In a ceremony at a hotel near Montreal’s Trudeau Airport, Indigenous leaders spoke about the long journey these artifacts took to come back home.
“Pope Francis, his words still strike me when he left Canada,” said Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Natan Obed in a speech, referring to his experience meeting the late head of the Roman Catholic Church on during the papal visit to Iqaluit. Francis came to Canada in 2022 to apologize for some church members’ role in Canada’s residential schools program.
“Standing in a plane in Iqaluit, he said, ‘Thou shalt not steal’,” Obed added. “These are words that I think should resonate beyond just this moment in time.”
A century ago, the church asked missionaries in Canada to send artifacts to the Vatican museum’s collection. It was Francis who asked that these items be returned to Canada.
Obed said 14 of the artifacts are of Inuit origin, including a 100-year-old Inuvialuit kayak — one of the larger items and one that news media focused on as a symbol of the artifiacts’ return.
Archbishop Richard Smith says the Roman Catholic Church is trying to forge a “renewed relationship” with Indigenous Peoples in Canada. (Photo by Cedric Gallant)
Inuit leaders and experts will analyze the other items to determine which community they are from and what knowledge can be found within them. Most of the other items are of unknown origin.
The artifacts are still enclosed in their boxes, waiting to be acclimatized and transported to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., where they will be studied and some will eventually be displayed.
“Look at the power in the room, the diversity of Indigenous people,” said Duane Smith, chairperson of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.
“We are that much stronger when we work with each other, support each other.”
The items are going to be transported by the Kahnawake Peacekeepers — the police force in the Mohawk First Nation near Montreal — to the museum in Gatineau.
“The Holy Father spoke of his desire for a future of justice, healing, and reconciliation,” Archbishop Richard Smith said Saturday. “The return of these [artifacts] is a concrete expression of that hope.”
The return of Indigenous cultural objects that had been held in the Vatican’s collection for decades will help Inuit and other people relearn how those items were originally made, says Paul Irngaut, acting president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., during a ceremony in Montreal to mark the return of 62 items. (Photo by Cedric Gallant)
He added that it reflects what he called the church’s “deep desire for a renewed relationship, marked by mutual respect and a commitment to walk forward together.”
Obed said the ultimate goal for the 14 Inuit items is to have them returned to wherever they belong. One obstacle to that is the lack of infrastructure in the Arctic to properly store the items.
“Why it is so important to have them back is because we are forgetting how they were made,” said Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. acting president Paul Irngaut. By getting the items back, they can be reverse-engineered and built again.
“It won’t be like the old days, but at least our young people will know,” Irngaut said.
Indigenous leaders will take future steps to repatriate artifacts from other institutions around the world.
Obed pointed to a section of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, which asks Canada to co-develop a comprehensive approach to enable the repatriation of Indigenous cultural belongings and ancestral remains.
Assembly of First Nations president Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said, “We are thankful to see this day and to see the beginning of repatriating our artifacts from around the world.”
“And to Britain, we are coming next,” she added with a laugh.
So where they stolen, gifted or purchased?
The article doesn’t answer the most obvious question but that’s par for journalistic standards around here.
Most times they were just taken without asking, some from graves along with parts of human remains.
It was a different time back then, a lot of these Europeans did not think indigenous people were equal to them and did whatever they felt like doing.
The Catholic Church with the backing of the RCMP acted as complete authority back in the day, ruled with an iron fist and if they wanted something they took it.
This was the case around the world where European churches invaded indigenous lands, spreading their fear monger propaganda.
We are still trying to recover from this in Canada.
The truth is they don’t know. The Vatican did this voluntarily, not being compelled, so read into that what you will. Sometimes gifts. Sometimes discarded. Sometimes traded. There are too many who express certainty without any evidence that things were stolen. It is a common narrative.
Oh we know, just ask Inuit and you will find out.
Which ‘Inuit’ specifically? Many I know think the earth is 6,000 years old.
this obed guy is always chasing the buck. investment? ya okay so give up some of ITK cash to do it. what he actually means is give me more southern tax dollars.
Obed is like ” superman ” to us inuks , remember , when he saved us form the ”evil ” Edmonton Eskimo .
You sound like a southerner, colonized well, no accountability for their past actions.
to the thumbs down on my comment about natan – there 2024-05 financials (audited) has KTI with 70 million in cash on hand. so pony up a million. they also have 458K in travel expenitures roaming around to various venues.
I’m surprised you didn’t run for president to do a better job than Obed