Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, above, has apologized for the mistreatment in the late 19th century of indigenous people who were shipped to Europe and exhibited, the BBC reports here:

“As we near the bicentennial of our independence, we have to confront both the brightest points and the darkest moments of our history,” she said in Santiago.

She said the mistreatment of the indigenous people was due to racist attitudes towards “our indigenous forefathers, whose human dignity was trampled upon.”

Eleven Kawesqar Indians were taken by a German expedition in 1881 and displayed around European cities. Five died while overseas. Their remains were recently flown back to Chili and honored in a ceremony.

Those five will be buried in a traditional ceremony at a remote island near Tierra del Fuego, according to the BBC.

It’s tough not to compare Bachelet’s very public remarks with President Obama’s silence on the recently approved Congressional apology to tribes that he quietly signed in November.

Gwen Florio

Tags: Apology to tribes, buffalo post, Chile, Indigenous people, Kawesqar Indians, Native American news, President Michelle Bachelet