Survivors and their families had differing perspectives
about the Pope’s statement, however. Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty believes his
words shouldn’t be interpreted as an official apology, but rather a direct
address to the small audience and those watching the livestream.
“I think the narrative perpetuated by the media was harmful
because people didn’t understand the context in which it was delivered,”
Gull-Masty told the Nation. “I don’t think he was intentionally omitting
anybody. It was an important moment for the Catholic Church to see he’s sending
this message to take part in this process, to reset the tone of the Church’s
responsibility.”
Pope Francis was reportedly “deeply moved” by the delegates’
testimony, saying he hoped to visit Canada near the church’s Feast of St. Anne
on July 26. Gull-Masty thinks he will likely visit the former residential
school in Kamloops, the truth and reconciliation exhibit at the Canadian Museum
for Human Rights in Winnipeg, and perhaps make stops in Inuit and Métis
territories.
The Grand Chief believed his words to be genuine and a good
starting point for further reconciliation efforts. She particularly appreciated
the Pope’s following statement: “It’s chilling to think of determined efforts
to instill a sense of inferiority, to rob people of their cultural identity, to
sever their roots … unresolved traumas that have become intergenerational
traumas.”
“I think that was the appropriate language,” said
Gull-Masty. “I feel confident he will come and share another message. Will it
ever be enough? I don’t know. I really don’t think you can share enough words
to address what people endured in these schools. I think the work will go
beyond one generation to heal from this. It will be a legacy that will never be
forgotten.”
She described the trip as challenging and emotionally
draining, demonstrating both the harsh realities of residential schools and the
legacy of Indigenous resilience. The Pope was presented with baby moccasins
representing those who never came home and asked to bring them with him to
Canada.
Gull-Masty expressed concerns that the Church has failed to
fulfill its settlement obligations for survivors and asking for complete
disclosure. There were calls for expediting fundraising efforts for the $30
million Canadian bishops announced last September, bringing fugitive priests to
justice and rescinding papal bulls that laid the foundations for colonial
genocide 500 years ago.
During the visit, the delegation was shocked by the
Vatican’s extensive collection of Indigenous artifacts in its Anima Mundi
ethnological museum. Delegates requested that the Church return items belonging
to Indigenous communities.
“This trip was kind of a weird experience,” Gull-Masty
reflected. “It’s like going to the colonizer’s house and saying you’re
responsible for all this stuff that went down and they’re not going to
immediately change. I don’t think they’ll make an announcement the next day that
they’re rescinding the papal bull.”
Legal experts also cautioned that the Pope’s apology won’t
make Catholic entities or individuals more accountable in Canadian courts. As a
head of state, the Pope has sovereign immunity when he speaks. Apology
legislation in several provinces also makes expressions of regret inadmissible
in legal proceedings.
“Legally it doesn’t have one scintilla of significance,”
said Rob Talach, a lawyer who has sued Catholic entities over 400 times in the
past 20 years. “When those words don’t lead to action, it’s just causing more
trauma for people. These apologies don’t match the conduct of the church –
they’ll still try to minimize compensation. This is an unrepentant
organization.”
While it remains to be seen what reparations and reforms
might result from this trip, Chisasibi Chief Daisy House hopes it leads to the
release of residential school records. As community consultations continue,
it’s likely that preliminary investigations of former school sites on Fort
George Island will begin later this year with an aerial survey and
ground-penetrating radar (GPR).
“It’s painful not to know but it will be painful to learn
the truth as well,” House told the Nation. “The journals may fill in the
gaps of what happened and direct the GPR process. Journals will help us in
collective healing and can be kept at our cultural centre. We have some here
and it captures a snapshot of the horrors.”
While some survivors have said they don’t want to excavate,
radar techniques will reveal how realistic it is to clear-cut, considering the
overgrowth, buried debris and uneven surfaces. A growing team, including Sarah
Beaulieu, the consultant who was instrumental in Kamloops, is expected to
manage this project over the next two years.
House was emotional watching the apology. With this exchange
of compassionate words and gifts, including a Cree language bible from
Gull-Masty and snowshoes delivered by Cree Youth Grand Chief Adrian Gunner, the
Grand Chief hoped it was the beginning of a respectful relationship.
“The biggest part of this journey was not so much hearing from the Pope but to break that taboo of not talking about residential schools,” Gull-Masty asserted. “Intergenerational trauma has been secretly festering and it’s my role to create a safe space to talk about these things. Some were angered, some were pleased. All of those responses are completely appropriate.”
Published on April 25, 2022
