A Canadian art specialist is questioning the Vatican’s version of events regarding the acquisition of numerous Indigenous artifacts from various countries, including Canada. In the early 1920s, Pope Pius XI requested Catholic missions worldwide to donate artifacts, including Indigenous cultural items, for a 1925 Vatican Mission Exposition. Gloria Bell, an art history assistant professor at McGill University, noted the Vatican received about 100,000 artifacts from Catholic missions, which now form part of its permanent collection. These include a human face mask from Haida Gwaii, a unique kayak from Inuvialuit, beaded skin moccasins, birch bark etchings, and a dog sled model made of walrus ivory and sealskin.
Bell’s research challenges the Vatican’s claim that these artifacts were gifted, pointing to a contested history where Indigenous individuals may have been coerced to create these items. She highlighted instances where cultural objects were seized during the potlatch ban from 1885 to 1951 and missionary bulletins indicated involvement of residential school students in creating souvenirs for the 1925 exhibit.
The Vatican has kept most of these artifacts in storage, with limited public access. Calls for repatriation have emerged, with Duane Smith from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation seeking the return of a rare kayak from the Vatican. Smith emphasized the importance of reconciliation and urged the church and government to cover the costs of repatriation.
Bell advocates for consulting Indigenous communities on the ethical display of cultural items, returning belongings, and digitizing Vatican records for community access. Her research focuses on the exclusion of Indigenous voices in the 1925 exhibit and addresses colonial narratives within the Vatican. Bell’s forthcoming book explores these themes and aims to shed light on this overlooked history for Indigenous communities, artists, and activists.
