QUESNEL - The hanging of five Tsilhqot’in chiefs in the aftermath of what has become known as the Chilcotin War is being commemorated near the chiefs’ gravesite in Quesnel today.

The Chilcotin War was a disturbance in April 1864 involving the Tsilhqot’in people and the federal and provincial governments of the day. Fourteen workers constructing a road through Tsilhqot’in traditional territory were killed. Five chiefs who peacefully surrendered as a result of that incident were hanged 135 years ago on October 26, 1864.

Accused of massacring the road building party, the chiefs were tried and convicted by Judge Matthew Begbie. They were hanged by the Colony of British Columbia and buried side by side near the present day site of G.R. Baker Memorial Hospital. A sixth chief was hanged in New Westminster in July 1865. The Tsilhqot’in object to the chiefs being tried as criminals, maintaining that this was a territorial dispute between two warring nations.

In 1993, as a result of Judge Anthony Sarich’s Report on the Cariboo-Chilcotin Justice Inquiry, then Attorney General Colin Gabelmann acknowledged the hangings and apologized on behalf of the government and people of British Columbia. He also expressed his regret for the effect this event had on the Tsilhqot’in people. In turn, the province committed to providing support in locating the burial grounds and assisting in ensuring that the proper ceremonies would take place. It was eventually determined that the gravesite was in an area near the Quesnel hospital. A commemorative plaque will stand at this site.

"This long-standing historical incident has continually been an issue in the relationship between the Tsilhqot’in and the provincial and federal governments," Aboriginal Affairs Minister Dale Lovick said. "It is my sincere hope that this recognition, which follows up on the Sarich Report, will help reconcile that relationship."

South Cariboo MLA David Zirnhelt also expressed his belief in the importance of this event in reconciling a past injustice. "As a resident of this region, I know personally the affect this black mark in our history has had on the Tsilhqot’in people," he said. "By acknowledging the chiefs’ sacrifice and honouring and respecting them, I hope we can move beyond the grief and regret that has worn heavily on the shoulders of generations of Tsilhqot’in people," Zirnhelt said. "Reconciliation is difficult, but it must begin with this small step. Ultimately we have to find ways to live with one another without fighting over the land and resources, which we all need."