Monday, December 8, 2025

Photo courtesy Assembly of First Nations / Facebook More than sixty Indigenous artifacts have now been returned to Canada from the Vatican. As Dan Karpenchuk reports, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis leaders were on hand at Montreal’s airport over the weekend to welcome them back. There were 62 items in large crates on board the plane that landed on Saturday morning. Many Native leaders as well as those involved in the repatriation efforts were on hand. Some bowed as the crates were lowered onto the tarmac, for most, the objects on board were more than simply artifacts. One of those present was the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak. “This is an important and emotional moment for many First Nations across this country. And I also hope it’ll be an important moment for all Canadians to consider the history and the future of this country. Reconciliation isn’t one stop here, reconciliation is every single day doing this work.” After many years of advocacy and under the guidance of Knowledge Keepers and Elders, sacred First Nations items have now arrived back in Canada and will be repatriated to their rightful communities of origin. (Photo: Assembly of First Nations) Indigenous leaders in Canada have been calling, for years, on the Vatican to repatriate the artifacts in its collection. They met with Pope Francis in Rome in 2022 to talk about the legacy of the residential schools. At the time they were also given a private viewing of some of the objects held by the church. They included embroidered gloves, a kayak, and a sling for carrying a baby. Some Indigenous leaders say it’s not about bringing home objects or artifacts, but about bringing home memories, bringing home the dignity and power that was taken from their ancestors. The artifacts will not be available for public viewing until sometime early next year. Nepinak also says there are more artifacts in the Vatican Museum so the work to repatriate them will continue. U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ), left, meets with Apache Stronghold founder Wendsler Nosie Sr. in Guadalupe on May 5, 2025. (Photo: Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ) After finally being sworn in following a historic seven-week delay, U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) is using her first legislative act to fulfill a campaign promise she made to tribes across Indian Country. KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio has more. In 2015, her father, the late U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, first introduced the Save Oak Flat from Foreign Mining Act to protect an Apache holy site east of Phoenix by stopping a congressionally approved land exchange between the U.S. Forest Service and Resolution Copper. He said at the time that, “So maybe the foreign company has millions and billions of dollars, we have a spirit.” A decade later, the fight isn’t over. The controversial land swap has been put on hold until as early as next year. And the new congresswoman is taking on that mantle by reintroducing her dad’s old bill. “The bar is very high. Again, this is new to me, not new to the family, but new to me. I mean, I hear it even from Democrats mining is super important, right, but none of the ore is staying here. It’s all going to China.” As for Resolution Copper, the company tells KJZZ that Rep. Grijalva has been invited to meet their workforce to talk about what they call her “highly concerning” bill, which, they say, threatens hundreds of jobs today and billions of dollars for Arizona’s future. The Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma is concluding its emergency food assistance response this month. The tribe issued a declaration of emergency in October after the federal government announced the suspension of SNAP benefits for recipients in November. The declaration tapped millions of dollars in the tribe’s reserve funds for cash assistance for Cherokee citizens, and support for food pantries, meal sites, and food banks. According to the Cherokee Nation, the tribe delivered nearly $2 million in assistance to individuals and non-profits.   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out the latest episode of Native America Calling Monday, December 8, 2025 — Tribal museums reflect on tumultuous year, chart their next steps