Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be in Saskatchewan at the end of the month to officially exonerate Chief Poundmaker for wrongful conviction of treason more than 130 years ago.
The Prime Minister will be visiting the First Nation on May 23 for the official announcement.
Even though Poundmaker prevented his men from attacking retreating Canadian soldiers, he was sentenced to three years in prison.
He was released after about a year and died shortly after a respiratory illness.
Poundmaker Cree Nation Headman Milton Tootoosis says the day has been a long time coming.
“Well, I think it will be a big sigh of relief for our traditional knowledge keepers, our researchers, our elders who for the longest time have been saying, ‘Poundmaker did nothing wrong in 1885,’” he says.
Tootoosis adds the announcement has the potential to mark a new era in Crown-Indigenous relations.
“We’re hopeful that this will trigger further discussions, further debates, further negotiations, further apologies…”
Aside from Trudeau, Assembly of First Nations Chief Perry Bellegarde and Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron are also scheduled to attend the event.
(PHOTO: Chief Poundmaker. Photo courtesy Canadian Encyclopedia)