CBC: Although AFN National Chief RoseAnne Archibald appreciated the personal nature of Pope Francis’ apology she also felt that the apology fell short on a number of fronts:

• Failure to rescind the Doctrine of Discovery that was the primary instrument of colonization for the stealing of Indigenous land and genocide of Indigenous people. This doctrine in combination with the doctrine of terra nullius still underpins the current legal frameworks that justifies colonialism
• Did not address the facts of genocide responsible for the deaths of thousands of Indigenous children in schools operated by the Catholic Church
• Didn’t address the direct accountability of the Catholic Church as an institution for the destructive actions it initiated to destroy Indigenous culture, languages, spirituality and legal traditions

She felt that the apology raised a number of questions including about who would lead the investigation Pope Francis referred to: the Church or the independent International investigation that the AFN and others have called for.

On July 22, 2022 in a letter sent to Archbishop Richard W. Smith acknowledging her attendance at events in Edmonton, sh also had this to say about the Catholic Church soliciting donations on the ticketmaster site:

I’ve also been notified that on the Papal Visit Ticketmaster page, ticket holders are solicited for donations to CONCACAN INC. who serve to promote and coordinate Catholic activity in Canada and ensure the advancement of the Roman Catholic church in Canada. Please see how inappropriate this is. We as First Nations people are all intergenerational trauma survivors, and we are collectively grieving the pain and suffering that Catholic-run institutions of assimilation and genocide perpetrated. It is ill-timed to advance church fundraising efforts on this reconciliatory visit in the first place but especially hurtful to ask First Nations survivors, to whom church reparations are already owed, to donate.

Lastly, I would like for you to send the complete set of agendas for all papal visit sites that we can share with our communities as our People need answers.