Metis and Inuit Canadians meet Pope Francis at the Vatican; Pope did not offer an apology

A Fraser Valley resident is among the Metis and Inuit Canadians who met with Pope Francis at the Vatican today.

Pixie Wells, from the Abbotsford area, says it was a proud moment to be a two-spirit person in the room with the pope.

Wells says First Nations are bringing back the cultural importance of two-spirit individuals as leaders and healers, an importance that was lost during colonization and more than a century of forced residential schools.

During today's meetings, the pope did not offer an apology for the Catholic Church's role in residential schools but more meetings are slated with the First Nation delegation on Thursday and with the entire group on Friday, and a spokeswoman says all involved have always wanted any apology to take place on Canadian soil.