Apprehension and optimism: young Indigenous people share their thoughts ahead of Pope's visit

WARNING: This story contains distressing details.

As the Pope's visit to Canada draws near, CBC Edmonton asked several Indigenous young people what the visit means to them and what impact they hope it has on their communities.

Pope Francis, set to arrive in Edmonton on Sunday, is expected to deliver an apology for the Catholic Church's role in residential schools during his visit. 

The interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Amber Cardinal, 23, Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation

How do you feel about the visit that's coming up and how do you feel about the apology in general?

So while I don't speak for anyone but myself, I feel that this apology for, especially for our elders who have been a part of the residential schools and the Sixties Scoop. I feel this is very important for their healing journey, especially for those who are Catholic. ... For myself, however, I'm still kind of struggling with that part of me.

I feel like for this in particular, my late [grandma] ... this would have meant a lot to her, especially since she was very Catholic when she was alive, but she was also very culturally connected to her Stoney language. She still knew how to speak it fluently, despite it all. She was unfortunately part of the Sixties Scoop.

I just have a lot of mixed opinions about it personally, but I also acknowledge that I'm very happy for those who are excited to see the Pope and I want to support them on their healing journey.

Is this going to do anything?

I think people really want more. They want reconciliation. You know, they want healing. They want all these things. I feel like the Pope, especially since he's the highest power, he himself can bring that for us if he chooses to. Right? He could. ... It's just affected a lot of people.

To this day, you know, especially with the [unmarked graves of] children that were being found last year ... and there's going to undoubtedly be more [graves] going to be found. So, you know, I think for us, we deserve a little bit more action and stuff from the Pope, anyway.

Ben Steinhauer, 26, Saddle Lake Cree Nation

Start by telling me how you feel about the Pope's visit and the whole apology in general.

For me it's very touchy, as it is for all of my family, because it doesn't feel like the Pope is coming to apologize to us. It feels like he's coming to apologize to all the non-Native people of Canada to give them something, because the church has always known what it's done. It's in the church's records.

So, the only reason I feel that the Pope is coming to apologize is they've now discovered all the bodies and there's no way they can say, "No, this didn't happen" anymore, because for years they denied these things. ... But I grew up hearing these stories from my uncles, my aunties, my dad, you know, stories about some of my uncles telling me where their dad had buried their cousins, their families.

It really doesn't feel like a sincere apology at all. ... You know, the Pope has so much power. He could fix almost all the issues that are in reserves, you know, to demonstrate really that they are sorry, that they understand what the church did to an entire race of people living on an entire island.

That's really hard for me and my family to be able to go out and take that as an apology. It's impossible. 

Shay Savoie, 21, Alexander First Nation

How are you feeling about the Pope's visit and the apology in general?

Ultimately, I think the Pope's visit and his apology and just this whole situation we find ourselves in allows us to have discussions around our healing, around our forgiveness and trust, all of which take time. Right? And I think with that time and with these discussions, we'll kind of find what we make of this situation.

Are you feeling positive because of these opportunities to heal?

I think that you kind of have to look at this kind of thing in a positive way, regardless. Well, I think every situation you find a silver lining. But I think there is a lot of opportunity here. And I think that there's also a lot of hurt. And that hurt can't be healed without acknowledgement and addressing our history and what's happened.

Logan Alexis, 24, Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation

Tell us how you feel about the Pope's visit and the apology in general.

I grew up in a Catholic home in a First Nations community. I was taught that the Catholic Church was supposed to be a loving and caring religion. However, I was also taught to look down upon people who were gay and different.

In my early years, I sort of knew that I was queer, but I didn't want to admit that to myself because in my First Nations school back then, there was so much homophobic energy. So when I moved away to the city, I got to know more on the Catholic Church.

That's when the whole world [was] telling about their residential school experiences, how bloody the Catholic Church is really. To me, that was shocking and I felt like I was betrayed. ... Knowing the full truth, it felt like I was lied to. 

I learned that in my culture, being queer is supposed to be honoured, it's supposed to be sacred and I really wish that my First Nations school knew that. I felt like that kind of respect was taken from us.

The Pope is the face of the whole religion. And I know that the Pope didn't really do it directly, but being a leader to a big organization, you have a lot of responsibility and I felt like the Pope should have a really big apology on everything. ... Even to the elders who are alive today, they've been going through a lot and I pray for them to heal because that's what they really deserve.

Support is available for anyone affected by their experience at residential schools or by the latest reports. A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.