The federal government has issued a formal apology for the forced relocation of a Manitoba First Nation.

The Sayisi Dene people were uprooted from their traditional hunting land in Duck Lake in 1956.

Band members said the fallout of the move devastated the Dene people and nearly wiped out the population.

Band member, Jeannie Tom, said she is glad the government is acknowledging what happened.

"Believe it or not this happened during modern times, but a lot of people were not aware of it," said Tom in an interview at her home in East Selkirk. "For us what it means is the whole nation, Canada as a whole, will know what happened to our people."

The decision to relocate the Dene community was made because officials in Manitoba were concerned their hunting methods were wiping out caribou herds. After the relocation, it was determined there was no crisis and the caribou population was healthy.

Anthropologist Virginia Petch said the move had a terrible impact on the community. The Dene people were forced to live in a remote area, which was economically deprived.

"They were taken to Churchill and they were literally dumped on the shores of Churchill," Petch said. "It's a very sad story … tragic story."

Tom's parents left Duck Lake before the forced relocation. However, after her family settled in Churchill, Tom said the government forced them into a home in Camp 10. She explained they were later moved again into an area known as Dene Village.

She said the homes were not heated and it was very cold, which contributed to many deadly house fires that some of her relatives died in.

"When they were moved from Duck Lake and were taken to Churchill they had nothing," Tom said. "And of course the despair ... they began to drink ... and you know the rest ... horrible deaths."

Today's apology comes with a $33-million settlement package, aimed partly at economic development.

Tom hopes that money will help contribute to a brighter future for youth, but said it won't fix mistakes made in the past.

"No matter what's said and done nothing can undo what happened to my people,” she added.

The Manitoba government formally apologized for its role in the relocation in August 2010.