The revered Chief Poundmaker tried to negotiate with Canadian officials when he was falsely accused of treason

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The Canadian government has formally exonerated a prominent Cree leader, the revered Chief Poundmaker— known to his people as Pîhtokahanapiwiyin— nearly 130 years after he was falsely accused and convicted of treason.

Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, absolved the chief of any crime in an emotional ceremony at Poundmaker Cree Nation in Saskatchewan province on Thursday,

“Today, our government acknowledges that Chief Poundmaker was a peacemaker who never stopped fighting for peace. A leader who, time and time again, sought to prevent further loss of life in the growing conflict in the Prairies,” Trudeau said, acknowledging the “profound impact” the conviction of Poundmaker had on the community.

“I am here today, on behalf of the government of Canada, to confirm without reservation that Chief Poundmaker is fully exonerated of any crime or wrongdoing.”

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Milton Tootoosis, headman and councillor at Poundmaker Cree Nation, went into the day expecting an “emotional, sad and exciting” event. “An apology like this is certainly a century overdue,” he said before the ceremony.

The story of Poundmaker has been a difficult one for the community. Colonial governments labeled him a criminal, but the Cree knew him as a thoughtful diplomat, and a leader maligned by an unjust court verdict.

As Poundmaker tried to make peace and negotiate with government officials while the Cree suffered mass hunger as a result of government policies in the region, his people were attacked by a group of police, militia and soldiers on 2 May 1885.

During the Battle of Cut Knife, government forces deployed cannon and a Gatling gun on a camp of men, women and children, before retreating in defeat after nearly seven hours. Warriors attempted to chase after them until Poundmaker stopped them.

“He should also go down in history as a hero, as one who saved a lot of lives … He, as a peace chief, stopped the warriors, which is unprecedented according to our oral history, because a peace chief in times of war had no authority,” Tootoosis said.

In the aftermath of the battle, Poundmaker travelled to speak to government officials, but instead he was arrested and convicted. He was released after less than a year in jail because of his poor health and died four months later.

Despite community leaders’ previous efforts to obtain an apology from the government, little progress was made on a formal exoneration. The recent attempt took nearly two years, and Tootoosis described a winding process of committees and paperwork at the regional, provincial and federal level.

“Advancing reconciliation is a priority for the prime minister and our government, and a vital part of that work is addressing the injustices of past colonial governments,” Trudeau’s spokeswoman, Eleanore Catenaro, said before the exoneration.

Trudeau has made a priority of publicly apologising for events his government feels are historical wrongs. In March 2018 he exonerated six Tsilhqot’in Nation chiefs who had been wrongly convicted and executed.

“This is one small but very important step for us,” said Tootoosis.

He said the community welcomed the correction of a historical wrong, but that he hoped it would renew focus on what he said was inadequate compensation for their 121,000 square miles of land and sustained poverty.

“We need to elevate the conversations about our treaties. If we’re going to improve relations, there’s got to be more frank, open, and honest discussion,” he said. “There are just so many negative outcomes that have resulted from a lack of implementation of the treaty and its promise of economic livelihood.”