Métis Ancestral Item Returns to the Métis Nation After More Than a Century in Vatican Collection
MNC welcomes rare early 20th-century model dog sled and outlines next steps to ensure its respectful return to its true home.
Gatineau, QC, Feb. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, in an intimate ceremony, Métis National Council (MNC) leadership were joined by Their Excellencies the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, and Mr. Whit Fraser; the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture; knowledge keepers, and other distinguished guests to witness the unboxing of an ancestral item recently returned to the Métis Nation from the Vatican Museums’ Anima Mundi.
Revealed for the first time to leadership today, the MNC welcomed a rare model Métis Dog Sled into its temporary care, while carefully stored at the Canadian Museum of History. This extraordinary item is one of 62 Indigenous cultural artifacts returned to Indigenous Peoples in Canada after more than a century in the Vatican’s collections. In celebration of the Jubilee of Hope announced by Pope Francis, these Indigenous cultural belongings were formally returned to Canada through the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, facilitating their transfer back to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.
While study is ongoing and will intensify now that the item has been physically revealed, preliminary research indicates that the model Métis Dog Sled dates to 1920 and reflects the central role of dog teams in Métis life during the fur trade era into the 20th century. Initial analysis by Métis cultural material experts describes it as an extremely rare representation of a Métis dog team and sled characteristic of those used throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Dog teams were essential for transporting goods and mail, trapping, and carrying visiting dignitaries to Hudson’s Bay Company and North West Company posts. While utilitarian in purpose, sleds and dog teams were often adorned with intricate floral beadwork, bells, wool pom-poms, and ribbons, blending artistry with function and identity.
The model dog sled is believed to have been donated to the Vatican Missionary Exhibition 1924-1925. Its return follows sustained engagement between Indigenous leadership and the Holy See after the historic 2022 delegation to Rome and subsequent commitments toward repatriation.
“This moment represents more than the return of an object,” said President Victoria Pruden, “It represents the return of story, memory, and the lived experiences of our ancestors. This model carries teachings about how our people moved across the land, how we built relationships, and how we sustained our communities. We are honoured to help welcome this item home and to ensure it is treated with the care, respect, and cultural responsibility it deserves so our future generations can have access to see more of their culture right here at home.”
The Métis National Council wishes to be clear that ancestral belongings are not repatriated to the MNC as an endpoint. Rather, the MNC serves as an interlocutor in this process. As the National Indigenous Organization for the Métis Nation, the MNC will continue to facilitate research, dialogue, and coordination among Métis governments, rights holders, and knowledge keepers. The careful study of this item will now proceed in partnership with subject-matter experts and Métis leadership to determine its provenance and cultural origins. From there, guided by Métis laws, protocols, and community direction, decisions will be made to ensure the item is returned to its true home in the most respectful and appropriate way possible.
Repatriation is not simply about the transfer of custody. It is about restoring relationship. Relationship between community and culture, between story and place. ‘‘This is only the beginning of our partnership with the Museum. We look forward to continued collaboration to advance further repatriations and ensure these items are returned home safely’’ said President Pruden. Today’s ceremony affirms both the resilience of the Métis Nation and the importance of ensuring that ancestral belongings ultimately rest where they rightfully belong: with Métis in the community to whom they are connected.
Melissa Lagacé Métis National Council 2042900199 melissal@metisnation.ca
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