Like all Albertans, we love this province. We raise our families here, work the same lands, cheer for the same hockey teams and worry about the same things — jobs, crime, high prices and a better future for our children.
That is why I want to speak plainly about why First Nations are legally challenging the separation referendum. It is not about stopping Albertans from expressing frustration with the status quo. It is about one simple fact: separating from Canada would break the treaties our ancestors signed with the Crown.
Those treaties are the reason we are here today in a place called Alberta. Treaties are not ordinary contracts — they are nation-to-nation agreements that created the foundation for Alberta itself.
Separation is premised on the incorrect notion that Alberta is not treaty land. Almost all of Alberta is, in fact, treaty land. In December of last year, Alberta Court of King’s Bench Justice Colin Feasby was clear that the original separatist petition question is unconstitutional. It would violate Section 35 of the Constitution and would breach the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
This is not an abstract legal issue. If the treaties are undermined, it creates chaos for everyone, not just First Nations. It risks years of court battles, uncertainty for industry and broken trust.
On a personal level, and I think I speak for many First Nations people, this is a needlessly divisive issue. We respect the Albertans who have collected signatures. Being involved in the democratic process is always strengthening.
However, we very tangibly see, hear and feel an increase in divisive and even racist language around our efforts to protect our rights as set down in the treaty — recognized and protected by the Canadian Constitution. After so many years of conversation and progress toward reconciliation, walls are going up again. And that is a tragedy.
Albertans feel ignored by Ottawa. But turning that anger into a plan to leave Canada is making polarization worse. Instead of solving problems together, we are being pushed to pick sides.
Our legal position is clear. To date, the courts agree with us. Alberta cannot start a process to walk away from Canada and our treaties without full consultation with us.
We understand the Government of Alberta plans to appeal a recent decision that went in our favour. I wish it would not. Instead, I wish it would take the required step of having meaningful consultations with us before any question is put to a vote.
We are not against Alberta having a strong voice. It is an outsized contributor to Canada in many ways. We stand with efforts to get more fairness. We want better resource policies, fair taxes and respect for industries that feed our families.
But the right way forward is to fix these issues inside Canada, not by risking the legal foundation that protects everyone’s rights.
We have worked together for generations. Our shared history, though not always easy, has created something worth protecting. First Nations, farmers, oil workers, teachers and new Canadians, we all call this place home and love it.
