Watch powerful moment woman sings in Cree to Pope Francis after apology

An Indigenous woman stood before Pope Francis and sang in Cree following his public apology for the role that the Catholic Church played in the residential school system.

The unscripted moment happened after the Pope was gifted a traditional headdress and wore it on stage as the crowd erupted into cheers.

• 'I had to speak out': Indigenous woman explains why she sang to Pope Francis in Maskwacis

The former site of the Ermineskin Indian Residential School in Maskwacis, Alta. was the first stop in the Pope's six-day pilgrimage across Canada.

In the video above, you can watch the moment that Si Pih Ko stood among the crowds to sing in Cree.

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If you are a former residential school survivor in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419. Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.

Correction:

CTV News previously reported that the woman sang ‘O Canada’ in Cree, which was incorrect. This article has been corrected to reflect that.

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  Pope Francis issued a public apology for the role that the Catholic Church played in Canada's residential school system during his visit to the former site of the Ermineskin Indian Residential School in Maskwacis, Alta.