It was a stunning image: Pope Francis briefly wore a full indigenous hairdo, its rows of soft white feathers held in place by a colorful beaded headband, after apologizing for the Catholic Church’s role in Canada’s “disastrous” school system for indigenous children .
Superintendent Wilton Littlechild, a school survivor himself, gave Francis the headdress on Monday, placing it on her head to cheers from an audience in Maskwacis, Alberta, that included many school survivors.
The Vatican and the pope clearly appreciated the gesture: Francis kissed Littlechild’s hands after receiving the headdress, something he has done in the past as a sign of respect for Holocaust survivors and did on this trip for survivors of the homes.
The Vatican apparently understood the symbolic significance of the moment, putting the photo on the front page of the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano under the headline “I humbly ask for forgiveness.”
Historically, hats were a symbol of respect worn by Native American war chiefs and warriors. For many plains tribes, for example, every feather placed on a cap has meaning and must be earned through an act of compassion or courage. Some modern Native American leaders have received military hoods in ceremonies accompanied by prayers and songs.
Not everyone was happy with Littlechild’s action. Some members of local tribes said they found the gesture inconsistent with past transgressions at church schools for which Francis apologized.
Russ Diabo, a member of Canada’s Kanawake Mohawk tribe and indigenous advocate and political analyst, described the scene as “astonishing” and the pope’s statements as “easy.”
Diabo said on Twitter that “Catholic Church and Canada Collaborate on Mythology of Shared ‘Reconciliation’ Program Told by Prominent Federal Contributors/Residential School Survivors!”
“I have so much to say about this and it’s all negative,” tweeted Joe Horse Kepcher, vice president of local 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 hard!” added Horse Capture, a member of the A’aniiih Nation.
Maka Black Elk, executive director of Truth and Healing at Red Cloud Indian School in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, described the scene on Twitter as a “#toosoon moment.”
“The discourse surrounding #PopeFrancis’ hat is deplorable,” Black Elk wrote. “He didn’t ask for this. It wasn’t his fault. But it’s also clear that the donors didn’t consider how it would make other Indigenous people feel.
Black Elk said later in a telephone interview that the mixed reaction to the ornament placed on the pope’s head “reflects the reality of local people and our need for more dialogue” about the past.
“I really 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 Tuesday to a message seeking comment.
But Keeshon Littlechild used a Facebook post to defend his grandfather for giving Francis one of his many headdresses.
“I’m sick of watching people beat my grandfather and I understand how much respect you need to be gifted, but in the end he showed respect to the Pope by coming all the way to maskwaci to apologize,” he wrote.
Among those coming to Littlechild’s defense is Phil Fontaine, a former head of the Assembly of First Nations and school survivor.
“Chief Littlechild was following his protocols,” Fontaine said. “There is a protocol for such a gift. He went to the elders, he went to the leadership and asked for permission to present this gift. This is completely in line with the way they follow their customs and protocol here.
John Cryer, a First Nations elder and school survivor, said at a news conference after the apology that the gesture meant tribal leaders “have accepted him as one of our leaders in the community.
“It’s a tribute to the man, it’s a tribute to the work he’s done, and it’s also a recognition … here’s a guy who belongs to our tribe,” Cryer said.
Marie-Anne Day Walker Pelletier, former chief of the Okanese First Nation, told CTV, “I thought it was pretty cool. Chief of all chiefs now, I guess.
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Nicole Winfield and Peter Smith in Muskwatzis, Alberta, and Rob Gillis in Toronto contributed reporting. Snow is reported from Phoenix.
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Associated Press religion coverage is supported through AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc. AP bears all responsibility for this content.
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