Canada’s CrownIndigenous relations minister Gary Anandasangaree said at a ceremony at Whitecap Dakota First Nation on Monday that “On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, we seek to begin to mend this injustice with three simple words: We are sorry.” Historical mistreatment and discrimination, including decades of the Dakota and Lakota being labelled as refugees, were addressed in the apology to nine First Nations in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

The Dakota and Lakota, who have held land in Canada and the United States, have long had a strong presence in the country. However, the Canadian government never recognized them as Aboriginal Peoples of Canada under the Constitution. Instead, they were viewed as strangers from the United States seeking refuge from the American military. The Dakota and Lakota were defeated in battle by the Americans in the 1860s and 1870s, forcing many to move north. Canada allowed them to stay but ignored their title to land.

As a result, the Dakota and Lakota were not invited to sign treaties and received no treaty rights. They received smaller reserves and fewer economic supports than other Indigenous groups. Anandasangaree said Canada’s failure to offer recognition hurt generations of Dakota and Lakota. “There’s no way to undo the years of collective trauma your people and nations endure to this day,” Anandasangaree said.

Josh Gwozdz has more on the step towards reconciliation.

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