From apology to action: Vatican hands back 62 artefacts to Canada; indigenous leaders to guide the return

The Vatican has transferred 62 cultural items linked to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, framing the move as a “concrete sign of dialogue, respect and fraternity. ” The items, which include an iconic Inuit kayak, masks, wampum belts and other ceremonial objects, are slated to arrive in Montreal on December 6 before being processed by the Canadian Museum of History for reunification with originating communities The artefacts were originally gathered for a 1925 Vatican exhibition and later housed in the Vatican Museums’ ethnographic collection, drawing scrutiny amid global debates over restitution and the legacy of colonial-era collecting. Indigenous scholars and community leaders have questioned whether such objects were ever fr