Reckless referendum direct violation of Treaty

Friday, May 2nd, 2025 7:29am
A man in a chief's feather headdress smiles at the camera.
Grand Chief Greg Desjarlais. Photo from the Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 First Nations website.
Statement from the Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 First Nations

The Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 First Nations firmly rejects Premier Danielle Smith’s recent comments and actions regarding the prospect of Alberta’s separation from Canada.

Premier Smith’s promotion of the idea of a referendum on separation is not only reckless — it is a direct violation of the Treaty relationship that exists between our Nations and the Crown. Our Treaties are internationally binding, solemn covenants and cannot be broken by any province or political party.

Let us be absolutely clear: our Nations do not and will never consent to the separation of our Treaty Territories. These Lands were never ceded, nor surrendered.

Premier Smith must immediately abandon this dangerous rhetoric and recognize that Treaty obligations are not optional. They are binding commitments that cannot be dismissed or overridden by separatist ambition.

aiy hiy,

Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 First Nations Grand Chief Greg Desjarlais