Delegates from the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan will return home this week after visiting with Pope Francis in Rome.

The MN-S is calling for further reconciliation and justice after their visit to the Vatican. MN-S Vice-President Michelle LeClair “Actions speak louder than words. The Pope’s apology today is a first step to accountability, justice and most importantly, to healing. We need the Pope to acknowledge the Church’s role in residential schools for any apology to translate into true and meaningful reconciliation.

Le Clair adds “In Saskatchewan, that process may begin when the Church, the federal and provincial governments formally acknowledge their roles in the Ile-a-la-Crosse boarding school before the survivors are gone.”

The MN-S says they’re proud of two Elders, both of who are survivors of the boarding school in northern Saskatchewan. Emilien Janvier and Antoinette Lafleur represented Saskatchewan Metis survivors on the trip.