Fue una imagen spectacular: el papa Francisco luciendo brevemente un tocado indígena completo, con sus hileras de suaves plumes blancas sujetas por una colorida diadema de cuentas, después de que pidiera disculpas por el papel de la Iglesia católica en el sistema de internados para niños indígenas from Canada.

Chief Wilton Littlechild, who attended one of the aforementioned residential schools, presented Francisco with the headdress on Monday, placing it on his head to the cheers of an audience in Maskwacis, Alta., that included many residential school victims.

The Vatican and the Pope clearly appreciated the gesture: Francis kissed Littlechild’s hands after receiving the headdress, which he has done in the past as a sign of respect for Holocaust survivors, and that he made on this trip for the victims of the Holocaust.

The Vatican clearly understood the symbolic significance of the moment and published the photo on the front page of the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano under the title “I humbly apologize”.

Headdresses are historically a symbol of respect, worn by warlords and warriors of indigenous peoples. For many Plains tribes, for example, each feather attached to a headdress has significance and must be earned through an act of compassion or bravery.

But not everyone liked Littlechild’s gesture. Some members of the native tribe said it seemed incongruous with past transgressions in Church-run schools, for which Francis apologized.

Russ Diabo, a member of the Mohawk tribe of Kahnawake in Canada and an advocate for indigenous peoples, called the scene “lavish” and the pope’s remarks “easy”.

Diabo said on Twitter that it was “the Catholic Church and Canada collaborating to create a mythology for a common agenda of ‘reconciliation’ narrated by prominent Federal collaborators/internee victims.”

“I have a lot to say about this, and all of them are negative,” tweeted Joe Horse Capture, Vice President of Native Collections and Curator of Native American History and Culture at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles.

“I practice the mantra ‘If you can’t say anything positive, don’t say anything.’ But I’ll be honest, it’s tough!” added A’aniiih Nation member Horse Capture.

Maka Black Elk, executive director of Truth and Healing at Red Cloud Indian School in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, wrote on Twitter that “the talk around Pope Francis’ hairstyle is unfortunate.”

“He didn’t ask for it. It wasn’t his fault. But it’s also clear that those who gave it to him didn’t consider how it would make other natives feel,” he said. he declares.

Black Elk later said in a phone interview that the mixed reactions generated by the placement of the headdress on the Pope’s head “reflects the reality of Indigenous peoples and our need to engage in more dialogue” about the past.

“I think Chief Littlechild felt it was important to honor that moment, and it was an important moment,” he added.

A spokeswoman for Littlechild did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

However, Keeshon Littlechild defended his grandfather on Facebook for giving Francisco one of his many headdresses.

“It irritates me how people attack my grandfather and I understand the respect it takes to receive one, but in the end it was he who showed respect to the pope by coming to Maskwacis to apologize,” he wrote.

Another who came to Littlechild’s defense was Phil Fontaine, a former leader of the Assembly of First Nations and residential school victim.

“Chief Littlechild followed his protocols,” Fontaine said. “There is a protocol for these types of gifts. He went to the elders, went to the leaders and asked permission to make this donation. It’s totally consistent with how they follow their customs and protocol here.”

Jon Crier, a First Nations elder and victim of one of the residential schools, told a press conference after the apology that the gesture meant that the native leaders “have adopted him as one of our leaders in the community”.

“It’s honoring the man, it’s honoring the work he’s done and it’s also acknowledging … that this is a man who belongs to our tribe,” Crier said.

Marie-Anne Day Walker Pelletier, former chief of the Okanese Nation, told CTV, “I thought it was very good. I guess he’s the boss of all bosses now.”

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Nicole Winfield and Peter Smith in Maskwacis, Alberta, and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report. Snow reported in Phoenix.

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