Within the ornate halls of Vatican City lies a trove of Indigenous cultural artifacts, collected over a century ago and still far from their homelands. These items—among them an Inuvialuit sealskin kayak, Cree leather gloves, and a 200-year-old wampum belt—are now at the center of growing demands from Indigenous communities for their rightful return.

Once taken during a time of widespread cultural suppression, these sacred belongings remain under the care of the Vatican despite promises made by the late Pope Francis to return them to their original communities in Canada. Now, Indigenous leaders are urging his successor, Pope Leo XIV, to fulfill that unkept commitment.

A Century of Silence

The origin of the Vatican’s Indigenous collection dates back to the 1920s, when Pope Pius XI urged missionaries worldwide to send items that demonstrated the Church’s influence across cultures. This call resulted in the gathering of thousands of Indigenous artifacts—many removed from communities without consent or taken under colonial duress.

“The collection wasn’t built with respect—it was built on exploitation,” said Gloria Bell, an art historian at McGill University who has studied the Vatican’s handling of Indigenous materials extensively. Her book, Eternal Sovereigns, outlines how these items were showcased during the 1925 Vatican Mission Exposition, a display meant to highlight the Church’s global reach.

At that same time, Indigenous children in Canada were being taken from their families and placed into residential schools—many operated by the Catholic Church—where they were stripped of their languages, cultures, and identities. While these abuses unfolded, sacred items from those very communities were being exhibited in Rome.

From Apology to Accountability

In 2022, a delegation of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis leaders traveled to Rome to meet with Pope Francis. During that visit, they were shown parts of the Vatican’s Indigenous collection and were deeply affected by what they saw.

“It was emotional to see those items so far from home,” said Victoria Pruden, President of the Métis National Council. “They carry our stories, our heritage, our ancestors’ spirits.”

Later that year, Pope Francis visited Canada, offering a historic apology on behalf of the Church for its role in the residential school system. He described his visit as a “penitential pilgrimage” and vowed to support reconciliation efforts, including the repatriation of Indigenous artifacts. However, despite this symbolic step, no significant action has followed.

Pope Leo’s Silence and Indigenous Frustration

Since assuming the papacy in May 2025, Pope Leo XIV has not publicly addressed the issue. Vatican officials have also declined to confirm whether any repatriation efforts are underway. The lack of transparency has only deepened frustration among Indigenous communities and their allies.

“We are talking about sacred items that should have never left our hands,” said Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. “Returning them is not a favor—it’s a moral obligation.”

Laurie McDonald, an elder from the Enoch Cree Nation and a survivor of the residential school system, described the importance of these items in restoring lost heritage. “Those may seem like simple objects to others,” he said, “but for us, they are links to the lives and teachings that were stolen.”

A Global Movement for Repatriation

The Vatican is not alone in facing calls to return cultural property. Museums and institutions worldwide have begun reckoning with collections obtained through colonialism. In the U.S., recent federal guidelines require institutions to consult with tribes before displaying sacred or ancestral items. In 2022, Pope Francis even returned fragments of the Parthenon to Greece—a symbolic move toward restitution.

However, a 2024 investigation by The Globe and Mail revealed that the Vatican had returned only one Indigenous item to Canada in recent years: a 200-year-old wampum belt, which was loaned—not repatriated—to a Montreal museum for less than two months.

For many Indigenous leaders, that gesture was a beginning—but not nearly enough.

“What we want isn’t a temporary loan,” said Pruden. “We want our heritage back where it belongs—on our lands, with our people.”

A Question of Faith and Justice

The call for repatriation echoes the values the Church itself espouses. During his 2023 remarks on the topic, Pope Francis cited the seventh commandment—“thou shall not steal”—as a guiding principle for restitution.

He also voiced support for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which affirms the rights of Indigenous communities to reclaim and care for ceremonial objects taken from them.

Now, leaders like Woodhouse Nepinak are calling on the Church to move from rhetoric to action.

“This is uncomfortable, yes,” she said. “But it’s the right thing to do—for reconciliation, for healing, for truth.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reportedly raised the issue with Vatican officials during a visit to Rome earlier this month, alongside Indigenous Member of Parliament Jaime Battiste.

Hope for a Homecoming

Indigenous communities are not only demanding justice—they’re envisioning a moment of healing.

“To welcome back the creations of our ancestors would be an incredible moment,” said Pruden. “These artifacts have waited long enough. So have we.”

As Pope Leo XIV settles into his role, many are watching closely to see whether he will honor the promises made by his predecessor—or allow another century of silence to pass.