After the Métis and the Inuit on Monday, it was the turn of the First Nations to meet Pope Francis on Thursday at the Vatican. A hearing that has been described as “historic” in the journey towards reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and the Catholic Church, which has managed the majority of residential schools for Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Although only one hour was scheduled for the meeting with the head of the Catholic Church, the audience stretched out over two hours. Residential school survivors were on hand alongside First Nations leaders to share their stories.
“We strongly hope that these discussions will be the beginning of an ongoing dialogue and a partnership in which we can learn from the past and share our visions for a future filled with hope”, declared after the meeting the chef Gerald Antoine, who leads the APN delegation in Rome.
Also present in the Vatican, the former national leader of the APN said he was carried by a feeling of optimism following the audience with Pope Francis. “The Holy Father clearly told us that he was with us, mentioned Phil Fontaine. It’s an incredibly important statement, because the next thing you’re going to hear is an apology. I’m convinced. »
This apology could be at the heart of Pope Francis’ visit to Canada, scheduled for the coming months. On Monday, the Métis and Inuit delegations had also demanded that the sovereign pontiff issue an official apology on Canadian soil on behalf of the Catholic Church.
In its 2015 report, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended that the Vatican apologize to residential school survivors and their families. In 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau personally urged the sovereign pontiff to ask for forgiveness from Indigenous peoples, which Pope Francis refused to do.
Approximately 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools across the country, uprooting them from their culture and alienating them from their families and communities. Many of these children have suffered physical and sexual abuse at the hands of clergy.
Anonymous graves
According to Phil Fontaine, the discovery last year of hundreds of unmarked burials on the sites of former residential schools for Aboriginals could be the source of the change in attitude of the Vatican. “The news had gone around the world,” he recalled.
“I was convinced at that time that the Catholic Church had no other choice […] than to do what was asked of him [présenter des excuses] by so many people for so many years. »
For the apology to be meaningful, it must recognize the “truth” and the responsibility of the Church, said Chief Rosanne Casimir (Kukpi7) of British Columbia’s Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation — a community which was rocked last year by the discovery of 200 unmarked graves located on the site of the former Kamloops boarding school.
“There are still many truths to uncover,” argued Chief Casimir, noting that the remains of the children will have to be identified and returned to their communities and families. “There is a significant role the Catholic Church can play in providing access to archives and documents in its possession,” she said.
Rosanne Casimir also called for the Catholic Church to participate financially in the healing of Indigenous communities struggling with intergenerational trauma, as well as in the revitalization and promotion of Indigenous languages and culture.
Baby carrier
During this hearing based on listening, snowshoes made by hand by Cree elders were given to Pope Francis to demonstrate to him that “our culture and our language are still alive”, reported Mandy Gull-Masty, Grand Chief of the Cree Nation.
The First Nations delegation also entrusted the sovereign pontiff with an Aboriginal baby carrier (cradle board). “He represents every child who attended a residential school for Aboriginals,” explained the Cree leader.
The delegates asked the pope to take care of the baby carrier for the night and return it to them on Friday during the general audience that Pope Francis will hold with the entire indigenous delegation from Canada. “We said to the Holy Father: how you treat this baby carrier will indicate how you treat our people in the future,” Mandy Gull-Masty said.
“By giving us back the baby carrier [vendredi], the pope will demonstrate his commitment to our people. »