Background Content

Call to Action # 49: Settlement Agreement Parties and the UN Declaration (48-49)

ITK Statement On Repudiation Of Doctrine Of Discovery

March 31, 2023

by ahnationtalk on March 31, 2023

March 31, 2023

For centuries, the Catholic Church’s leadership and decision-making has caused irreversible damage to Inuit and Indigenous communities in Canada. Doctrine then and now has been manipulated to the detriment of Indigenous peoples, including the dispossession of our lands.

The Vatican’s efforts to recognize the role of its Doctrine in perpetuating these harms mark an important step in its attempts towards reconciliation.

At Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, we continue to support the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, particularly those that call for action by church parties. As per our 2022 letter and request to Pope Francis, we continue to look to the church to hold to account Johannes Rivoire, a Catholic priest who committed crimes against Inuit children.