Governor General Mary Simon credited Pope Leo XIV with making good on the returns, but also voiced hope ‘this repatriation inspires further returns’

Indigenous artifacts taken from Canada by Catholic missionaries to Rome a century ago were unveiled at the Canadian Museum of History on Tuesday, repatriations that have sparked calls for the Vatican to return other treasured items.

The return of the 62 artifacts, including a rare kayak, is “historic,” said Governor General Mary Simon, the first Indigenous person to serve as the monarchy’s representative in Canada.

“For too long, these artifacts were separated from the Indigenous communities to whom they belong,” she said in a statement.

Cody Groat, an expert in Indigenous cultural heritage at Western University in Ontario, told AFP there

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