It was 145 years ago on June 1, 1873 that an attack on a Nakoda First Nations camp forever changed the history of Cypress Hills and Canada.

The attack is known as the Cypress Hills Massacre saw a group of American wolf hunter attack Nakoda elders, warriors, women, and children resulting in the deaths of many.

Friday the Government of Canada recognized the attack with a Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque unveiling ceremony, that was organized with members of the Carry the Kettle Nakoda, to remember the tragic event and it's national significance and to make sure that the Nakoda victims are never forgotten.

The ceremony featured Dr. Jim Miller, a member of the Saskatchewan Member of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, and members of the Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation.

The tragic event remains a significant part of Nakoda history but also played a significant role nationally.

The attack was one of the first major tests of law enforcement in Western Canada. The federal government dispatched the North-West Mounted Police to investigate the tragedy. The investigation by the police on a crime against Indigenous people played a big role in seeing a peaceful relationship between indigenous people of the prairies and the federal government.

Minster of Environment and Climate Change and the Minister responsible of Parks Canada Catherine McKenna said in a news release that she hopes this recognition will lead to a better understanding of Canadian history.

"The Government of Canada is committed to a renewed relationship with Indigenous peoples, based on a recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership," she said. "We remember the tragedy of the Cypress Hills Massacre, and we commemorate its national historic significance. National historic designations commemorate positive and negative aspects of Canada's history and prompt us to contemplate the complex and challenging moments that helped define Canada today."

The commemoration was a part of the government funding for Parks Canada to incorporate Indigenous views, history, and heritage into national parks and historic sites.