The British Columbia government has expressed regret to the family of a First Nations man who was wrongfully hanged on a Vancouver Island beach nearly 150 years ago.
Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation minister Ida Chong participated in a feast of reconciliation with the Hesquiaht First Nation on Saturday, and band members forgave the actions of the colonial government in 1869.
John Anietsachist and another man named Katkinna were hanged in Humais Cove, also known as Estevan Point, about 30 kilometres north of Tofino, B.C.
The men were accused of murdering two people who had been shipwrecked on the island, but historians have suggested faulty translations of Hesquiaht testimony played a part in their convictions.
Chong said the province regrets that the Hesquiaht people were forced to watch such violence and generations since then have endured the pain of what happened to Anietsachist and his friend.
'On this day, what took place was an offer from the province of regret, and an offer from the Hesquiaht of forgiveness.' —Ida Chong, aboriginal relations and reconciliation minister
"With all our government was doing with respect to other First Nations — with reconciliation, with recognition, with respect — we felt that this was one area that had to be dealt with before we could move forward with any other matters," she said at the ceremony with the Hesquiaht and other bands.
The expression of regret, and not an apology, was fitting because British Columbia did not officially become a province until 1871, Chong said.
"It's about some closure to the pain they have been feeling. Every generation hereafter, when they hear the story of what happened, now they can plug in this chapter and say, 'But on this day, what took place was an offer from the province of regret, and an offer from the Hesquiaht of forgiveness.' "
Victor Amos, 60, said his family has kept the story about his great-great-great-grandfather Anietsachist's innocence alive for 143 years through oral stories and songs passed down to the Hesquiaht First Nation, a member of the Nuu-chah-nulth Nations.
Amos said his family decided about eight years ago that they wanted to clear Anietsachist's name and approached the government about a year and a half ago to try and make that happen.
"The acknowledgment of the wrongdoing is phenomenal," he said.
"Now rather than just my family believing my great-great-great grandfather was innocent, now the broader community believes that," said Amos, who performed a dance at a gathering that attracted hundreds of people from neighbouring First Nations.
Amos, who said his family has now given him the name Anietsachist, performed the dance at Saturday's gathering to honour his great-great-great grandfather.
He said not much is known about his friend, known only by the name Katkinna.
Anietsachist and Katkinna were accused of murdering at least two survivors of the John Bright shipwreck, which ran aground outside Hesquiaht Harbour.
Hesquiaht members said the crew had died in the wreck, but media and the colonial governor of B.C. claimed that survivors who had made it to shore were killed by the Hesquiaht.
Despite conflicting testimony, an inquest conducted by members of the HMS Sparrowhawk concluded that Anietsachist and Katkinna killed the ship's captain and his wife.
The men were hanged in public at a gallows erected on the beach.
Leading up to today's reconciliation feast, the B.C. government handed over a report containing information the B.C. government has on file regarding the hangings.
The B.C. government also worked to connect the Hesquiaht to Erik Kiaer, a descendant of Capt. Henry Mist of the HMS Sparrowhawk. Kiaer travelled from Portland, Ore., for the reconciliation feast.
Modern commentators and historians suggest faulty translations of Hesquiaht testimony may be partly responsible for the convictions of Anietsachist and Katkinna.