CBC: Cowessess First Nation, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, Wanuskewin Heritage Park, Lebret Qu’Appelle Indian Industrial Residential School all raised as possible sites.

Survivors have been demanding a papal apology on their territory for decades, and these calls were formalized in the 2015 final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Momentum and pressure grew last summer following the discovery of more than 1,000 unmarked graves, as well as a CBC News investigation revealing new details about the Church’s failed compensation efforts.

There were different opinions on location for a papal visit, but there was general agreement on four other points.

• First, any further apology must acknowledge the complicity of the entire Catholic Church and Vatican, not just some individuals. “It was the whole Church. The whole Church hurt our people. When [Francis] said ‘some people,’ that threw me back a bit,” Felix said. 
• Second, action must accompany any apology. This includes disclosing all documents on the schools and graves, as well as full payment of compensation which some estimate to be more than $60 million. It also includes repatriation of artifacts, repudiation of the colonial Doctrine of Discovery, and prosecution and extradition of abuser priests. Church officials say talks are underway, but Pope Francis did not mention any of these issues in his apology and speech to delegates. “It doesn’t really feel good to hear that [apology] when they haven’t even addressed the outstanding issues. It’s just another way to talk to us with a forked tongue,” Starblanket said.
• Thirdly, all expenses — roughly $50 to $100 million for previous papal visits — should be paid entirely by the Vatican. Any money from taxpayers or Canadian Catholics should instead go directly to programs for survivors and their descendants. “The Vatican is worth billions. They should pay. It’s time to right the wrongs, and they can start with this,” said Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron.
• Finally, the location, timing and all major decisions should be made by survivors themselves. “For all of this to resonate with the survivors and allow us to move forward, the survivors have to feel they are a fundamental part of this historic process,” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs. “For survivors to decide the where, how, what, when and why, it puts more trust into the whole journey,” Cameron said.