By Canadian Press

Assembly of First Nations announces 13 delegates to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican

Nov 25, 2021 | 12:56 PM

The Assembly of First Nations has announced the 13 delegates who will be going to the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis next month.

The delegation include elders, residential school survivors and youth.

Assembly of First Nations Northwest Territories Regional Chief Norman Yakeleya will be the delegation lead and Wilton Littlechild from Alberta, who was a commissioner for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, will be the spokesperson.

“Our gathering in December is the next step in completing TRC Call to Action #58,” said Yakeleya. “And while the apology from His Holiness is so important, it’s also important to think about what happens in a post-apology world. That’s part of the reason we’re honoured to have two youth delegates. This gathering is an opportunity to shape the future for our children and their children.”

The delegation will have a one-hour meeting with Pope Francis.

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Yakeleya says the delegates will share stories of survivors, talk about the importance of culture and push the Pope to deliver an apology for the Catholic Church’s role in residential schools.

There will also be Métis and Inuit delegations, which will have separate one-hour meetings with the Pope.

The full list of delegates can be found below:

• AFN NWT Regional Chief Norman Yakeleya, Dene Nation, Delegation Lead
• Chief Wilton Littlechild, Erminesken Cree Nation, Alberta Representative
• Fred Kelly, Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation, Spiritual Advisor
• Phil Fontaine, Sagkeeng First Nation, Manitoba Representative
• John Bekale, Dene Nation, Northwest Territories Representative
• Adeline Webber, Kukhhiittan Clan of the Teslin Tlingit Nation, Yukon Representative
• Kukpi7 Chief Roseanne Casimir, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, British Columbia Representative
• Chief Marie-Anne Day Walker-Pelletier, Okanese First Nation, Saskatchewan Representative
• Marlene Cloud, Chippewas of Kettle & Stony Point First Nation, Ontario Representative
• Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty, Cree First Nation of Waswanipi, Quebec Representative
• Rosalie LaBillois, Eel River Bar First Nation, New Brunswick Representative
• Marlene Thomas, Lennox Island First Nation, Prince Edward Island Representative
• Phyllis Googoo, Waycobah First Nation, Nova Scotia & Newfoundland Representative
• Taylor Behn-Tsakoza, Fort Nelson First Nation, Youth Representative

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2021.

The Canadian Press