(March 10, 2026 – Unceded Algonquin Territory, Ottawa, Ontario) – At an event today marked by ceremony and celebration, Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak participated in the uncrating of First Nations items that were recently returned from the Vatican Museums archive.
“Our relatives are home,” said National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak. “It is an emotional day, a moment years in the making, and the culmination of decades of advocacy and action by First Nations leaders, Elders and Knowledge Keepers. For First Nations, many of these items are not simply ‘artifacts’ – they are living, sacred parts of our cultures, to be treasured by communities and used in ceremony. This is a significant step in our journey to healing and reconciliation.”
First Nations leaders and Elders have long called for the return of items taken from First Nations and sent to museums and other institutions, including the Vatican Museum. National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak advocated with governments and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, culminating in a meeting with Pope Francis at the Holy See on March 31, 2022. The work continued under Pope Leo XIV and on December 6, 2025, Pope Leo XIV returned 62 cultural artifacts for immediate transfer to Indigenous communities in Canada.
The AFN ensured proper protocol and ceremony were observed through all stages of the work leading to today. The National Chief traveled to Vatican City with a delegation of First Nations leaders, Elders, Knowledge Keepers and Residential School survivors in late November to see that the items departed safely and with ceremony. The AFN supported four First Nations youth to accompany the items on the flight home.
“The journey home for these items has been a long one but it is not over, just as our journey to reconciliation is not over,” said National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak. “Our goal is to truly repatriate the items, to see them returned to their communities of origin. We will honour the work of our ancestors and continue our efforts to bring all our relatives home from all institutions, in Canada and across the globe.”
The AFN will ensure First Nations Elders, Knowledge Keepers, academics and experts are directly involved in the process of determining provenance for each item. Officials at the Canadian Museum of History and museum and archive experts from across the country will support First Nations in this work. Once provenance is determined, the Nation and the community will determine where the items will reside and how they will be used.
Background Information:
Chronology of the Journey to Return First Nations Items from the Vatican Museum
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The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is a national advocacy organization that works to advance the collective aspirations of First Nations individuals and communities across Canada on matters of national or international nature and concern.
For more information, please contact:
Cherish Francis
Press Secretary
Office of the National Chief
(343) 630-1372 (mobile)
[email protected]