Vatican Returns Sacred Indigenous Artifacts To Canada After A Century

The Vatican has returned 62 sacred Indigenous artifacts that had been held in its Anima Mundi collection for nearly 100 years. The items, including an Inuit kayak, masks, and ceremonial objects, were welcomed in Montreal during a formal handover ceremony.

Representatives from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis groups received the artifacts, originally collected for a 1925 Vatican exhibition. Church officials say the return is a freely given gesture and a step toward reconciliation after decades of repatriation calls.