Canada issues an apology to the Williams Lake First Nation for “historical injustices” linked to the village site.
On Sunday, the Canadian government formally issued an apology to the Williams Lake First Nation for the “unlawful and wrongful actions” that resulted in the separation of the First Nation from their ancestral lands. The apology took place during a press conference held in Williams Lake, featuring Federal Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Gary Anandasangaree, and Chief Willie Sellars.
“The Government of Canada accepts responsibility for this historic injustice and expresses its deep regret and sincere apology to the First Nation for the harms suffered,” Anandasangaree said.
After the apology, they jointly announced that the Williams Lake First Nation and the Government of Canada have come to a settlement agreement aimed at addressing the “Williams Lake First Nation Village Site Specific Claim.”
“This apology and negotiated settlement is a step toward a renewed relationship with the community and one that was necessary in order for Canada to be an honest and accountable Treaty partner,” Anandasangaree said.
As per the settlement terms, Canada has granted the Williams Lake First Nation a total compensation package of $135 million. Furthermore, under this agreement, the Williams Lake First Nation has been granted the opportunity to acquire and request an expansion of their reserve by up to 1,400 acres.
“The Williams Lake First Nation has worked hard to have this terrible wrong corrected. Our ancestors were driven from a village site our people have used for millennia,” Chief Willie Sellars said.
“We took this matter to the Supreme Court of Canada to make sure Canada took responsibility for how badly our people were treated when our village lands were wrongfully taken from us.”
Achieving the settlement agreement with Canada and establishing the Williams Lake Community Trust for both present and future members of WLFN represents a momentous accomplishment for our community and a crucial step forward on the journey towards reconciliation with Canada.
Additionally, in recent developments, the Williams Lake First Nation has taken ownership of the grounds where the former St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School once stood. This institution of assimilation operated in the Cariboo region for nearly a century. The First Nation, in collaboration with the B.C. government, acquired the 13.7-acre property from its private owners for $1.2 million, with $849,000 of the funds contributed by the province.
St. Joseph’s history, like that of all residential schools, is marred by appalling violence. It served as a place where children from over 40 First Nations were sent to undergo the painful process of having their Indigenous languages, cultures, and identities forcibly stripped away.
This institution operated from 1891 to 1981 and has since been demolished. According to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, one child tragically perished due to exposure while attempting to escape St. Joseph’s in 1902. Another child lost their life, and eight more fell ill after consuming poisonous water hemlock, a tragic incident parents believed was a response to discipline at the school.
In the 1980s and ’90s, two former staff members pleaded guilty to charges related to the sexual abuse of students.
The Williams Lake First Nation, in its ongoing archival research and interviews with survivors and their descendants, has uncovered deeply disturbing accounts of atrocities. These include harrowing stories of gang rape, child molestation, confinement, exposure to harsh environmental conditions, deliberate starvation, forced slave labor, and beatings that left victims unconscious.
Moreover, the First Nation has utilized ground-penetrating radar sweeps, revealing the presence of 159 potential burial sites on the grounds, further underscoring the tragic history associated with this location.
