The Canadian government will pay compensation of 1.3 billion Canadian dollars (about 960 million euros) to the Siksika, an indigenous community in the country. Canadian media reported that. It is one of the largest damages ever for the expropriation of territory.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the government took much of their territory.
“We have gathered here to right a wrong of the past,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a signing ceremony. Trudeau and the head of the Siksika, Ouray Crowfoot, both signed the settlement at the ceremony. “We’ve come together to give ourselves a chance to rebuild trust in each other.”
In 1877 a treaty was signed, granting the territory in western Canada to the Siksika. Still, in 1910, the Canadian government took nearly half of the community’s land. The territory was then sold to people who wanted to settle in the area.
“I can’t make up for the past with this arrangement, but I still hope it can lead to a better future for this and future generations,” said Mark Miller, the minister responsible for ties with Canada’s indigenous people during the ceremony.
At the signing, Crowfoot said that while the compensation will not make up for past wrongs, it can make a difference in the lives of the people of the Siksika community.
