With the papal visit ended many in the North have more to say

With the papal visit ended many in the North have more to say

With the pope headed back to the Vatican, some residential school survivors in our region feel his apology tour did not go far enough.

Some felt Pope Francis' apologies for the atrocities of the residential school system were sincere, while others see them as empty words, even as he added to his remarks in Quebec on Wednesday to address the church's sexual abuse scandals.

Elder Angela Ashishkeesh watched his Edmonton apology and says she had an opportunity to meet the pope in Quebec, to tell him about her horrific experience at St. Anne's residential school in Fort Albany.

Elder Ashishkeesh declined to see the pope in person, after his disappointing apology in Edmonton earlier this week.

"When I looked at him ... everything just surfaced up, what I went through, the way I used to cry when I used to get punished ... my whole dignity was taken away when I was abused, sexually abused, by a man who wore a cross ... he's the head one of the church. Why should I go and see him and say 'apologize to me,' no, you don't do that," said Ashishkeesh.

Ashishkeesh says she is offended that the pope didn't visit Ontario or step foot on former residential school sites.

First Nations officials met with him Friday, to make a request.

"We presented him with a letter, requesting that the Vatican return the documents and other proof and truth, that are being held at the Vatican and we also requested that the Catholic Church be part of the healing process," said Anna Betty Achneepineskum of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.

Ashishkeesh agrees that the church needs to show action.

"Why can't they show the justice for us? Just to do an apology is meaningless for me. Empty, empty," added Ashishkeesh.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation told CTV they want the church and those still alive from the residential school era will be held accountable; but admits it isn't that the church will follow through.