Eel River Bar First Nation delegate to travel to Vatican City to meet Pope Francis

A New Brunswick First Nation woman will be part of a historic meeting set to take place between a 30-person Indigenousdelegation and Pope Francis in Vatican City.

Rosalie LaBillois, of Eel River Bar First Nation, will travel with Elders, knowledge keepers, residential school survivors and youth to meet the Pope at the end of the month.

Delegates were chosen by the organizations representing Inuit, Mtis and First Nations the Assembly of First Nations, Mtis National Council and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.

WATCH / Delegate speaks about heading to the Vatican to seek an apology from the pope

Eel River Bar woman to meet with Pope to seek formal apology from the Roman Catholic Church

2 years ago

Duration 1:51

Rosalie LaBillois is part of a delegation that includes elders, residential school survivors and knowledge keepers who will travel to Rome to meet Pope Francis later this month.

The delegation will seek a formal apology fromthe Roman Catholic Church for itsrole in running residential schools.

In the history of the institution, a formalapologyhas never been issued.

LaBilloissaid the delegation wants to convey to Pope Francis the reality of the pain thatresidential school survivors still carry with them.

"We want the Vatican to understand that these stories are true and...the Roman Catholic Church, allthat they embody, had a really big part to play in that and that has to be acknowledged," said LaBillois.

"That truth is still being uncovered across the country. Many of these former residential school sites, they're still finding the remains of of children that have attended those schools. There's stillrecords that are being held by the churches that are being held by their government...those are truths and they have to be released."

LaBillois's grandfather was also a survivor ofShubenacadie Indian Residential School in Nova Scotia.

That carries profound weight for her as she considers what needs to be accomplished during this meeting.

"It wasn't an easy decision to come to," saidLaBillois, who is alsoco-chair of the Assembly of First Nations National Youth Council.

"I had to recognize that this does take you away from another survivor's story in that sense...butinstead of seeing myself as like an impostor, I had to see that and acknowledge my own lived experiences and of my family."

Planning for the meeting at Vatican City has taken anumber of years andLaBillois was selected to be part of the delegation last fall.

"When this was brought to the executive table, we really pushed for having a youth delegate and seeing the importance of not wanting to take space from other survivors, but really wanting to advocate for our realities,"saidLaBillois.

"As intergenerational survivors our reality is real. We may not have gone through that direct system, but we understand the impacts and the effects and we feel that in our everyday lives."

In 2019,LaBillois spoke about doing more to prevent the national issue of youth suicide during a special assembly of chiefs from across Canada.

"I just think of our young people and I think about that opportunity that Iget to share at the Vatican and just really speaking from the heart and to acknowledge that we never had to change whowe are today. We no longer have to be ashamed of being proud of being an Indigenous person, of our ancestral homelands. Like, there's so much power in that."

LaBilloisbelieves tangible progress can be madein the wakeof a formalapology and that itwould have significantmeaning for some survivors.

"What does that look like for Canadians? And, for myself, New Brunswickers? This is huge and it's a historical event and this is certainly a part that could be that pivotalchange that we're all hoping for."

Support is available for anyone affected by their experience at residential schools, and those who are triggered by the 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.