The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) is calling on the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) to arrange for the July 2022 Papal visit to include one of the Saskatchewan residential school grave sites in a news release Tuesday.
FSIN identified Muskowekwan Indian Residential School as a possible site for the visit.
The still standing school at Muskowekan is where 35 possible unmarked graves were discovered in 2021.
Saskatchewan had one of the largest collections of residential schools in Canada, with 22 institutions across the province. About half were operated by the Catholic Church.
The Catholic faith continues to be practiced by Indigenous communities across the province.
The FSIN sees this as yet another reason why the Pope needs to visit Saskatchewan.
“The Catholic religion continues to be practiced by some First Nations in Saskatchewan and the Pope, as the leader of that Church, needs to be accountable to his membership,” the release said.
Dr. Marie Anne Daywalker-Pelletier, who was among the Indigenous delegates who met with Pope Francis, said the head of the Catholic Church needs to witness the schools in person.
“During my visit with Pope Francis, I presented him with baby moccasins and in return asked for a promise for him to return them to the steps of an Indian Residential School in our region to show good faith in his apology,” said Daywalker-Pelletier in the release.
FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron echoed the same sentiments.
“The Pope owes every Survivor, family, and community affected by the Catholic-operated Indian Residential Schools an apology on our own Treaty territory,” he said.
“There are over 100,000 Indian Residential School Survivors and intergenerational survivors in Saskatchewan, many are the victims and survivors of the Roman Catholic Church and there are also many survivors who continue to be members of the Catholic faith.”
Pope Francis’s planned visit will mark the fourth apostolic visit to Canada. The previous visits in 1984, 1987, and 2002 were all conducted by Pope John Paul II.
The FISN’s request has yet to be responded to by the CCCB.