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Assembly of First Nations announces 13 delegates to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican

Nov 25, 2021 | 12:56 PM

The Assembly of First Nations has announced the 13 delegates who will be going to the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis next month.

The delegation include elders, residential school survivors and youth.

Assembly of First Nations Northwest Territories Regional Chief Norman Yakeleya will be the delegation lead and Wilton Littlechild from Alberta, who was a commissioner for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, will be the spokesperson. 

The delegation will have a one-hour meeting with Pope Francis.

Yakeleya says the delegates will share stories of survivors, talk about the importance of culture and push the Pope to deliver an apology for the Catholic Church’s role in residential schools.

There will also be Métis and Inuit delegations, which will have separate one-hour meetings with the Pope.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2021.

The Canadian Press