fbpx
facebook app symbol  twitter  linkedin  instagram 1
 

Due to the potential spread of a new coronavirus variant, Indigenous leaders and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops decided to postpone their planned Dec. 17-20 trip to Italy to meet with Pope Francis. 

The meeting, now postponed “to the earliest opportunity in 2022”  was meant to “foster meaningful encounters of dialogue and healing” for the Catholic Church’s role in its more than 100-year operation of Indian Residential Schools for  Indigenous, First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth in Canada.

Between the late 1800s and 1996, Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families to attend boarding schools where they were often physically and sexually abused, according to testimony from residential school survivors taken by Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission between 2007 and 2015. The Catholic Church was tasked with running more than 150 residential schools for Indigenous children in Canada. 

Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.

Scheduled in June, the Vatican agreed to meet with the Canadian Bishops, Assembly of First Nations, Métis National Council, and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami in response to the discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children in unmarked graves at a former Catholic-run Indian residential school site in Kamloops, British Columbia. The following month, the Cowessess First Nation 1600 kilometers away from Kamloops announced the discovery of as many as 751 unmarked graves at the former Marieval Indian Residential School in the province of Saskatchewan.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) announced the postponement on Tuesday, after consultation with public health officials and leaders of each of the three National Indigenous Organizations.

“Particularly for many elderly delegates as well as those who live in remote communities, the risk of infection and the fluid nature of the evolving global situation presents too great a threat at this time,” the statement reads. 

The stakes of the postponed meeting are particularly high, given that Pope Francis has not yet met the calls for an apology for the harm perpetrated by the Catholic Church throughout the residential school era and still today.

In June, Pope Francis expressed “sorrow… about the shocking discovery,” out of Kamloops in his regular Sunday morning address at Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City, though he offered no official apology for the role the Catholic Church played in the displacement of an estimated 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children.

Additionally, last week Inuvialuit Regional Corporation chair Duane Ningaqsiq Smith called for the Pope to return a rare Western Inuit artifact the Vatican has had in its collection since the 1920s.

CCCB said they would continue to assess the feasibility of travel plans based on guidance from the Canadian government.

“It is...important to note that the delegation is postponed,” they said in their statement. “Not cancelled.”

More Stories Like This

50 Years of Self-Determination: How a Landmark Act Empowered Tribal Sovereignty and Transformed Federal-Tribal Relations
Muscogee Nation and City of Tulsa Reach Agreement on Criminal Jurisdiction and Public Safety Collaboration
Panel on Ethical Tribal Engagement at OU Highlights Healing, Research and Sovereignty
Groundbreaking Held for Western Navajo Pipeline Phase I – LeChee Water System Improvement Project
Navajo Citizens Voice Mixed Reactions to Trump’s Coal Executive Order at Public Hearing

Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions

At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.

The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.

Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.

This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.

We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.

Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.

Levi headshotThe stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.

Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.

Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher

 
 
About The Author
Jenna Kunze
Author: Jenna KunzeEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Senior Reporter
Jenna Kunze is a staff reporter covering Indian health, the environment and breaking news for Native News Online. She is also the lead reporter on stories related to Indian boarding schools and repatriation. Her bylines have appeared in The Arctic Sounder, High Country News, Indian Country Today, Tribal Business News, Smithsonian Magazine, Elle and Anchorage Daily News. Kunze is based in New York.