In a move reverberating across continents and cultures, the Vatican is set to return a collection of Indigenous artifacts to Canada, marking a milestone in the long and complex journey of reconciliation between the Catholic Church and Indigenous peoples. According to officials cited by the Associated Press and CBC News, the announcement is expected imminently, with the transfer of the items likely to be completed before the end of 2025.
The artifacts in question—numbering a few dozen—include culturally significant objects such as an Inuit kayak, wampum belts, war clubs, and masks. These items form part of the Vatican Museum’s ethnographic Anima Mundi collection, a trove that has, for decades, been at the center of heated debates about the rightful ownership and stewardship of cultural heritage taken during colonial periods.
This latest development follows years of advocacy by Indigenous communities and comes in the wake of Pope Francis’s historic 2022 meeting with Indigenous leaders from Canada. During that visit, the Pope issued an apology for the Catholic Church’s role in Canada’s notorious residential school system—a network of institutions that forcibly assimilated Indigenous children and, as Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission has documented, inflicted deep and lasting trauma on generations. The meeting also provided Indigenous leaders the opportunity to view some of the objects held in the Vatican’s collection and to formally request their return.
Pope Francis has since signaled his support for the restitution of such items, stating, “In the case where you can return things, where it’s necessary to make a gesture, better to do it.” His words, reported by the Associated Press, have carried weight, setting in motion negotiations between the Vatican, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Indigenous groups.
The Canadian Catholic Conference of Bishops confirmed on Wednesday that it has been working closely with Indigenous communities to ensure that the artifacts are returned to their “originating communities.” The Globe and Mail was the first to report on the progress of these restitution talks, which have accelerated in recent months. Sources told CBC News that both the Vatican and the Canadian Catholic Church are making good progress toward reaching a formal agreement, with the goal of returning the items to Canada before the close of 2025.
Once the artifacts arrive in Canada, they will be taken initially to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec. There, a collaborative process will unfold: experts and Indigenous representatives will work together to research the provenance of each item, aiming to identify the specific communities to which they belong and to determine the appropriate steps for their care and potential return.
The origin of these objects is itself a story steeped in the complexities of colonial history. Most were sent to Rome by Catholic missionaries for a grand exhibition in 1925, staged in the Vatican gardens during that year’s Holy Year. The Vatican has long maintained that these artifacts were "gifts" to Pope Pius XI, intended to showcase the Church’s global reach and the lives of the Indigenous peoples it evangelized. Yet, as historians, Indigenous groups, and experts have pointed out, the notion of these being freely given gifts is fraught with doubt. The power imbalances of the time, coupled with the Church’s active role in enforcing Canadian government policies that sought to eliminate Indigenous traditions—a process the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has labeled “cultural genocide”—call into question the true voluntariness of these so-called donations.
Gloria Bell, an associate professor of art history at McGill University and a scholar of Métis ancestry, has conducted extensive research on the 1925 exhibit. She characterizes the period as one of “Catholic Imperialism,” noting that Pope Pius XI “praised missionaries and their genocidal labors in Indigenous communities as ‘heroes of the faith.’” Bell told the Associated Press, “This planned return marks a significant shift in the recognition of Indigenous sovereignty and perhaps the beginning of healing.”
The Vatican’s approach to this restitution echoes its 2023 return of Parthenon Marbles to the Orthodox Christian Church in Greece. Rather than a state-to-state repatriation, the Vatican is opting for a “church-to-church” model: the artifacts will be handed over to the Canadian bishops conference, with the explicit understanding that the ultimate keepers will be the Indigenous communities themselves. A Canadian official, speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the items will be accompanied by whatever provenance information the Vatican possesses, enabling a thorough identification and repatriation process.
Not all details have been finalized, however. The Assembly of First Nations has highlighted that logistical issues and protocols must still be established before the objects can be returned to their rightful communities. As National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak told Canadian Press, “For First Nations, these items are not artifacts. They are living, sacred pieces of our cultures and ceremonies and must be treated as the invaluable objects that they are.” Her words underscore the profound spiritual and cultural significance these objects hold for Indigenous peoples—far beyond their value as museum pieces.
The timing of the return is also laden with symbolism. The Vatican and Canadian officials are aiming for the artifacts to arrive on Canadian soil before the end of this year, coinciding with the 2025 Jubilee—a Catholic celebration of hope and, fittingly, repentance. This year also marks the centenary of the 1925 Holy Year and the original missionary exhibit, an anniversary that the Vatican has notably chosen not to commemorate, given the current context and the controversy surrounding the exhibit’s legacy.
For many, the anticipated return of these artifacts is a long-overdue gesture. It not only acknowledges past wrongs but also represents a tangible step toward restoring dignity and agency to Indigenous communities whose cultural heritage was taken under dubious circumstances. The process, though, is far from simple. Determining the provenance of each item, negotiating appropriate protocols for their handling, and ensuring that the wishes of Indigenous communities are respected at every stage will require sustained collaboration and sensitivity.
As the world watches, the Vatican’s decision may set a precedent for other institutions grappling with similar questions of restitution and reconciliation. For now, the focus remains on the items themselves—and on the hope that, after a century spent far from home, these sacred pieces will soon be returned to the communities that have long awaited their return.