The official pardon document for Gabriel Sylliboy was installed in the lobby of the legislature and unveiled on Monday — the same day as Mi’kmaq Treaty Day.
Gabriel Sylliboy, a late grand chief of the Mi’kmaq, was convicted for hunting out of season in 1927. Sylliboy appealed the ruling in court, citing treaty rights but the courts ruled against him.
READ MORE: Mi’kmaq leader gets pardon, apology from NS: ‘He was the first to stand up for us’
Six decades later, the Supreme Court of Canada overturned his conviction. In 2017, Sylliboy was posthumously granted a free pardon, recognizing that the conviction was in error. It is only the second time in the province a pardon has been granted posthumously.
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Now, the pardon will be on display at the Province House. Sylliboy’s great-grandson, Grand Keptin Andrew Denny, was present for the unveiling ceremony and said it will serve as a good reminder of the past.
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“When you look at the past wrongs that were inflicted to my great-grandfather, and the fact that the free pardon is going to be in the house of legislature is a very important part of reconciliation,” he said.
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