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About two hundred Tsilhqot'ins gathered Friday in the Nemiah Valley to witness a personal apology by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and exonerate six of the nation's warlords who were hanged in 1864.
It was a picturesque scene around 13 hours. when Trudeau and Chief Joe Alphonse, president of TNG, galloped through the grbady area flanked by snow-capped mountains to begin the historic meeting.
Following the speeches of the current Tsilhqot leaders, Trudeau took the floor to say that he recognized that warlords only protected their nation that was being threatened by another by the time they were lured at a meeting in Quesnel by colonial officials. peace talks and were arrested, tried and hanged.
"These are mistakes that our government deeply regrets and is determined to correct," said Trudeau.
"The treatment of Tsilhqot'in leaders is a betrayal of trust, an injustice you have been carrying for more than 150 years."
The chiefs who died on October 26, 1864 near Quesnel were the Lhats'as warlord? In (Lhas-awss-een); Chief Biyil (pe-yal); Chief Tellot (Tay-lot); Chief Tahpitt (ta-peet); Chef Chayses (chay-sus); and Chief Ahan (a-han) who was hanged in New Westminster in 1865.
Those who took part in Friday's day declared that they felt happy about Canada's exoneration, but also sad that their warlords had to give their lives to protect their lands. He said that they now hoped that they rest in peace.
Chief Joe Alphonse said the traditional land meeting was a pleasant and relaxing experience from his visit to Ottawa in March in the House of Commons, where Trudeau had officially exonerated the warlords.
Read more: Prime Minister Trudeau officially exonerates Tsilhqot'in warlords
He was very pleased that the Prime Minister had accepted the invitation to visit the title lands so that the TNG members could hear the exemption themselves.
Xeni Gwet'in leader Jimmy Lulua thanked Trudeau for coming to the title lands and said he was proud of his people, the Tsilhqot'in.
"I'm so excited to keep moving forward and it's an honor and I thank Justin Trudeau for being the first Prime Minister to become a champion of the land and make history."
Chief Russell Myers Ross said he hoped the apology would allow for meaningful government-to-government work.
After the official apology and the exemption, the Nation presented Trudeau with a special gift: a replica of the suede-skin jacket given to his father and manufactured at that time by Julie Gilpin, a member of Tsilhqot'in. Julie was there to introduce to Trudeau the new jacket made by her daughter Denise Gilpin.
"It's perfect," Trudeau said, smiling and noting that all of his father's jackets were small for him.
Trudeau then went out into the crowd to greet as many people as possible before making his long trip back to Williams Lake by car, just as he had walked in and out of the house. # 39; airport.
Payel Laceese, a grandson of Julie and her son Denise, said that he hoped the meeting would bring healing.
"Our people can drop this without this grudge," he said, adding that he felt that there was a special connection with Trudeau, because of the history of the jacket.
"It's not just a nation-to-nation relationship, it's family to family."
Former Xeni Gwet'in leader Annie Williams also said the meeting was exceptional.
"It's hard to believe he was here," she said as the convoy moved away. "It was like he was one of us."
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