 On October 27, 1991, Archbishop Joseph MacNeil declared the church to be a First Nations, Métis, and Inuit parish, creating the Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples.The parish was placed under the direction of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, an order historically specializing in Indigenous ministry and mission.As the first Catholic church in Canada so designated, Sacred Heart's interior is adorned with Indigenous symbolism, such as the medicine wheel, the rainbow as a bridge to the next world, and the eagle as a symbol of God.