Anishinaabe Elder hopeful trip to Vatican to meet with Pope Francis will soon be rescheduled

By Sam Laskaris

KETTLE AND STONY POINT FIRST NATION – Marlene Cloud is still hoping to have a face-to-face meeting with Pope Francis in the Vatican.

But Cloud, an Elder from Kettle and Stony Point First Nation in southwestern Ontario, will now have to wait a bit longer.

Elder Cloud had been one of 13 representatives from Canada who had been selected to travel overseas to meet with the Pope and discuss reconciliation with the Catholic Church.

That trip was scheduled to take place Dec. 14-21. But earlier this month, representatives from the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) announced the trip was being postponed because of potential risks posed by the Omicron variant in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

AFN officials have not set any new dates for the trip, but they are hoping it will be rescheduled at some point in 2022.

Cloud, an Indian Residential School Survivor, said she was disappointed that the December trip was postponed, but remains hopeful that details of a rescheduled trip are announced soon.

But she was unsure, if given the opportunity, exactly what she would say to the Pope.

“I never really thought about it,” she said. “We were going to design our plan.”

Others who had been scheduled to make the trip included Chief Wilton Littlechild, who was to serve as the official delegation spokesperson and Phil Fontaine, former National Chief of the AFN.

The Vatican trip, including Indigenous representatives from across Canada, is in support of the Call to Action #58 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

That call reads as follows:

“We call upon the Pope to issue an apology to Survivors, their families, and communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools. We call for that apology to be similar to the 2010 apology issued to Irish victims of abuse and to occur within one year of the issuing of this Report and to be delivered by the Pope in Canada.”

Kettle and Stony Point First Nation Chief Jason Henry is the one who recommended Elder Cloud be part of the Canadian contingent to the Vatican.

“Over recent years she’s been vocal about [residential school issues] in the community,” Chief Henry said.

Though the Pope had agreed to meet with Indigenous representatives from Canada, it was uncertain just what his response would be and whether a formal apology on behalf of the Catholic Church would be issued.

Chief Henry, however, believes the meeting itself would be meaningful for Elder Cloud.

“For an Elder like this, it brings closure,” he said. “It closes a chapter in her life. It means a tremendous amount of closure for all of us.”

Meanwhile, Anishinabek Nation Southwest Regional Deputy Grand Council Chief Joe Miskokomon is hoping Elder Cloud and others who make the trip will have an opportunity to speak to the Pope.

“I hope they all have a chance to speak,” Regional Deputy Grand Council Chief Miskokomon said. “It’s a long way to go to stand in silence. They’ve been standing in silence for far too long.”

The Roman Catholic Church operated three Indian Residential Schools and several other Day Schools in Anishinabek Nation territory.

While plans were being made for the now-postponed December trip, Anishinabek Nation officials sent out their position on the issue.

The statement reads in part:

In the name of Truth and Reconciliation, we implore Pope Francis to issue an apology to all Indigenous people of Canada for the harms inflicted upon our children at the Church-operated residential schools. It is important to note that an apology would be a positive step forward; however, accompanying actions and commitments are crucial to achieving true and lasting reconciliation.

Furthermore, Anishinabek Nation calls upon the Roman Catholic Church to immediately release all archived records associated with the residential schools. We ask for the Pope to recommit to the compensation pledge made during the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement process. We would also like to extend an invitation to the Pope to visit our former Indian Residential School sites and speak to our survivors about their experiences.