The payment is part of an agreement signed Thursday by the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeauand the tribal chief of the Siksika, Ouray Crowfoot, on the traditional territory of the Aboriginal group, east of the city of Calgary.

The compensation agreement – which the Canadian government says is one of the largest Ottawa has signed with an Indigenous group – will allow the Siksika to acquire up to 465 square kilometers of land, the same amount was taken in 1910.

Trudeau called the deal with Siksika historic, saying it “corrects a past mistake made by the Government of Canada.”

Crowfoot spoke in similar terms, which assured that “Canada is not giving $1,300 million to the Siksika. Canada is correcting a mistake made over a century ago when it illegally took (465 square kilometers) of land.

In 1910, Canada seized nearly half of the territory that belonged to the Siksika under a treaty signed in 1877 between the Canadian government and five indigenous groups.

The government at the time seized the land, which included the best agricultural land and areas with high mining potential, to sell it to settlers.

For more than 60 years, the Siksika have tried to have Canada recognize the illegality of their actions and obtain compensation.

Since Trudeau came to power in 2015, the Canadian politician has said reconciliation with Indigenous peoples is one of his priorities.

But today, Crowfoot, with Trudeau at his side, said Canadian authorities must stop using the word reconciliation: “They will never achieve reconciliation. They will never be able to mend and return to what was before”Crowfoot pointed out.