Artifacts Returned to Indigenous Communities

This past week items were returned to various Indigenous communities. Flown in from Rome. The items had been at the Vatican starting from 1923 for a world exhibit. These items were taken by Catholic Missionaries from Indigenous Peoples around the world.

The items returned belonged to; First Nations, Inuit, and the Metis people of Canada.

More than 5 dozen artifacts were returned to their rightful owners. After 3 years of negotiations.

Katisha Paul of the Tsartlip First Nation and Lil’wat Nation had said; “Now they are back home with us, our nation will assert their rights to determine how best to take care of them.” “These are simply not artifacts. They are our belongings, our ancestors, vital indicators of our nations’ histories, our people’s identities and cultures.”

This is impactful and the start of repatriation of Indigenous items.

(Quote from K. Paul and photo taken from CBC news)

~Political Action Committee; BDLC