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Inuvialuit kayak, other items from Vatican to be unveiled at Museum of History

  • Alessia Passafiume

  • Canadian Press

  • December 9, 2025

Darrel Nasogaluak, elder and chair of Tuktoyaktuk Community Corp., left, and Duane Smith, chair and CEO of the Inuvialuit Regional Corp., unveil a traditionally built Inuvialuit kayak at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. The kayak was part of a collection of Inuit items returned from the Vatican this past weekend after more than 100 years. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA -- A selection of Inuit items returned from the Vatican this weekend will be shown at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., today.

They include a traditional Inuvialuit kayak, believed to be one of five built more than 100 years ago.

First Nations, Inuit and Metis leaders welcomed back dozens of Indigenous artifacts released from the Vatican collection at Montreal's airport on Saturday.

The 62 items ultimately will be returned to their communities of origin as an act of reconciliation.

First Nations, Inuit and Metis leaders have for years called on the Vatican to repatriate Indigenous items in their collection.

Indigenous leaders were on hand Saturday to watch as the priceless artifacts were removed from the belly of an Air Canada cargo jet in large crates.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 9, 2025.