CALL AN ELECTION

Alberta First Nations leaders stand against premier’s sovereignty act

By Staff The Canadian Press
Posted November 18, 2022 

WATCH  (Nov. 10, 2022): Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro has received a long to-do list from Premier Danielle Smith in a mandate letter. As Quinn Ohler reports, he has been tasked to develop and enact the proposed sovereignty act and take steps to prohibit discrimination on the basis of COVID-19 vaccination – Nov 10, 2022

All of Alberta’s treaty chiefs have come together to oppose Premier Danielle Smith’s proposed sovereignty act.

The chiefs of Treaties 6, 7, and 8 — all the province’s treaties — say in a statement that it’s offensive and they reject it outright.

READ MORE: Premier Danielle Smith asks ministers to take ‘united front’ when dealing with feds

Few details of the legislation’s substance have been released, but Smith has said the bill would allow Alberta to opt out of federal measures deemed harmful to provincial interests and that it would be among the first to be introduced in the upcoming legislature session.

The chiefs say their treaties were made with the Crown, not Alberta, and that the provincial government has no say over their lands and territories.

They call the bill a ploy to undermine Indigenous rights protected in the Constitution Act.

“Smith’s proposed bill undermines the authority and duty of the Sovereign Nations that entered into treaty,” said Treaty 8 First Nations Grand Chief Arthur Noskey.

“Our treaties with the Crown are peace and friendship treaties that did not release any of our lands and territories. Danielle Smith’s ploy to implement her Free Alberta Strategy undermines our rights already protected in their Constitution Act,” said Chief Darcy Dixon of Bearspaw First Nation.

“Our primary responsibility is to uphold our Treaties for the future generations,” said Chief Tony Alexis of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation.

READ MORE: Smith’s sovereignty act to ‘respect Supreme Court decisions’: advisor

In a statement, a spokesperson for the premier’s office said the government acknowledges the concerns of the chiefs from Treaty 6, 7 and 8 regarding the proposed Alberta Sovereignty Act.

“We are committed to ensuring the legislation specifically states nothing within the act is to be construed as abrogating or derogating from any existing Aboriginal and Treaty rights of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada that are recognized and affirmed by section 35 of the Constitution Act 1982,” Rebecca Polak said.

“In the interests of strengthening relationships between Alberta’s government and Indigenous Peoples, the premier will, alongside Minister of Indigenous Relations Rick Wilson, reach out to the chiefs of Treaty 6, 7 and 8 to book in-person meetings for the purposes of direct discussions on this issue including building upon shared values of economic prosperity and autonomy from the federal government. Alberta is a leader nationally for economic reconciliation, as proven by our recent unpreceded success of supporting Indigenous ownership of natural resource-based projects through the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation (AIOC).”

The next session of the Alberta Legislature is to begin Nov. 29.

— with files from Global News.