A kayak that has been stored in the Vatican Museums for many years is set to return to Indigenous communities in Canada, marking a significant step in reconciliation efforts with the Roman Catholic Church. Negotiations have progressed well between the Vatican, the Canadian Catholic Church, and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) for the return of the kayak and other Indigenous artifacts by the end of the year.
The CCCB has confirmed its collaboration with Indigenous Peoples on returning cultural objects currently held at the Vatican Museums to their rightful communities. The formal announcement is expected to come from the Holy See in the near future.
The artifacts, including the rare kayak—one of only five in existence—will initially be housed at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec. There, experts will evaluate their condition, ascertain their origins, and work with Indigenous representatives to decide on their final placement.
The transfer process is designed as a “church-to-church” donation, enabling the Vatican to avoid setting a precedent of directly returning cultural items to nations or communities. This approach mirrors the Vatican’s previous return of fragments of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece in 2023.
The kayak and other items were originally sent to Rome in 1925 for a world exhibition organized by Pope Pius XI, featuring objects from Indigenous communities worldwide. Many of these items, obtained during times of cultural suppression and forced conversion, became part of the Vatican’s permanent collection.
In 2023, following Pope Francis’s visit to Canada where he apologized for the Church’s role in residential schools, discussions intensified to repatriate the artifacts. Indigenous leaders view the impending return as a crucial step in the healing journey for residential school survivors.
The return of the kayak and other artifacts signifies a tangible response to the cultural losses endured over the years and underscores the importance of reconciliation through concrete actions.
