The Pope's Atonement Visit

As Pope Francis makes his way through the homelands of First Nations in Canada, Indigenous people are having strong reactions to his visit. The presentation of a headdress from Chief Wilton Littlechild, a member of the Ermineskin Cree Nation, and former commissioner for Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and residential school survivor himself, made all kinds of headlines in national and international media as well on social media. From condemnation, to simply trying to understand the motive of giving the leader of the world’s largest church and perpetrator to the assimilation and genocide of First Nation children in Canada.

Remarks from AFN National Chief expressed her disappointment that the Pope did not address the Doctrine of Discovery and he solicited donations from those hoping to see the Pope.

The Pope also made no mention of releasing residential school documents – documents that belong the residential school survivors that are now housed in the Vatican.

During a press meeting in Alberta, Chief Greg Desjarlais said the treatment and ultimate death of residential school students should be treated as a crime that requires being investigated and charges laid.

Desjarlais, said “This was genocide.”

Another Chief, Desmond Bull said, “Stop telling us to get over it. You need to get with it and learn about what truly happened and learn about us.”

Bull went on to say, “I think this is the first step forward, I want to hear an apology from the RCMP, The Crown and from Canadian citizens alike. They too, are part of this and part of the healing process.”

On Wednesday, July 27th, the Pope departed for Quebec City, where he met with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well as Indigenous leaders and other dignitaries at the Citadelle of Quebec. Following his meetings at the Citadelle, the Pope rode through the Plains of Abraham in his Popemobile and greeted the public. In the early evening, the Pope held a prayer with clergy at the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec.

On Thursday, July 28th, the Pope Francis will hold a morning mass at the National Shrine of Saint Anne de Beaupré.

Then on Friday, July 29, the day will begin with private meetings at the residence of the Archbishop of Quebec. The Pope will meet with members of the Society of Jesus, a religious order with the Catholic Church more commonly known as the Jesuits. He will also be meeting with a delegation representing Indigenous people from eastern Canada before flying to Iqaluit.

The Pope will start his tour of Iqaluit with another private meeting with residential school survivors before attending a free public community event hosted by Inuit leaders outside a local elementary school.

The Pope Francis is set to fly back to Rome later that evening.

Locally, in Akwesasne Doug George – Kanentiio released this statement,

Statement of the Akwesasronon Shonataten:ron – Residential School Survivors of Akwesasne Regarding the Papal Visit to Canada,

“July 22, 2022. Sekon Skennen:kowa – Greetings of Great Peace to all,

We are the Mohawk Residential School Survivors, the Akwesasronon Shonataten:ron, those who endured kidnapping, isolation, displacement, hunger, physical punishment, linguistic suppression, and cultural alienation while confined to institutions designed by Canada and administered by the Catholic and Anglican churches to kill our spirits and cripple our bodies.

They failed.

While the harm inflicted upon us is permanent with residual effects on our descendants, we have proven to be resilient with an unwavering determination to secure justice for ourselves, our communities, our families and those children whose bodies lie abandoned beneath the ground.

We are now actively searching for the missing children. We are scouring archives to find the records of those who were stolen from their homes so that we may answer these fundamental questions:

Who was taken

How many were taken

Where they were taken to

What happened to them at these places of confinement

Where are the missing

What is the manner of death for those who perished at those institutions

We are organizing and using contemporary technologies to locate the burial sites of the children. We are interviewing the survivors so their stories may be preserved. We are rising above being labelled as “victims” to take direct control of all aspects of the truth and reconciliation process. We reject any and all actions which do not directly involve our participation. Nothing will be done for us without us. No one may speak on our behalf without our express approval.

We do not accept the April 1 apology spoken by Pope Francis. We, as Haudenosaunee, were clearly excluded from that session because our position is unambiguous: No Apology Without Justice. We have been excluded from the Quebec City session as well which is tragic given that our people are setting the standards for finding the missing children and returning them home.

To us, the Pope must acknowledge that the Roman Catholic Church not only failed in its legal obligations to care for and protect the children but that individuals employed or working officially within the Church deliberately brought harm to us; that these people committed criminal acts and subsequently escaped liability.

We will not give “absolution”, nor will we accept anything less than an admission of responsibility sufficient under law. Those who inflicted these acts must be prosecuted and those who allowed crimes to continue must also be liable. In addition, all records held by the Church regarding the residential schools and the RC children must be released.

We expect the Pope to acknowledge that crimes against children took place while committing itself to working with us towards achieving a final resolution, one defined by the victims and based on actual justice.”

Akwesasronon Shonatate:ron contact: Doug George-Kanentiio at 315-415-7288 or Rarakwisere at 518-353-8730.