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Christian Awashish knows that history can’t be undone.

Nothing will erase the floods that washed away his ancestors’ homes, poisoned their drinking water and buried the hunting grounds that had sustained the Atikamekw Nation for hundreds of years.

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But a recent legal victory over the federal government has put the Atikamekw within reaching distance of a lucrative settlement and an apology for the cataclysmic damage caused by the construction of the La Loutre dam in 1918.

“I think the federal government has a chance to make amends, to do the right thing,” said Awashish, an Atikamekw Grand Chief. “It’s not a perfect solution, it doesn’t take away what was done but it’s something we can live with.”

Last month, the Specific Claims Tribunal ruled that the federal government failed in its duties to warn the Atikamekw about the dangers of imminent flooding related to the 1918 project. The government did not properly compensate the First Nation for losing land, revenue from traplines and homes during the flood, according to four decisions signed by Quebec Judge Johanne Mainville.