Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron is dismissing calls for the prairie provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan to separate from Canada.
Frustrations have boiled over following the election Monday, which saw a Liberal minority government, but no Grits elected in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
“They can’t say they’re going to separate because many of the Saskatchewan people I’ve talked to said [its] not going to happen, we are not going to separate. So, good luck it’s not going to happen,” Cameron explained.
Premier Scott Moe sent a sternly worded letter to Prime Minister Trudeau following the election and was animated in his demands that Ottawa kill the carbon tax, re-work the equalization formula and build pipelines.
Yet, Cameron stated any talk on separation would have to include First Nations, which have Treaties with the Crown and traditional territory.
“Now Saskatchewan wants to separate and Alberta wants to separate, well guess what? We have hundreds of thousands of acres of traditional lands which belong to First Nations people. And many of those land owners live on First Nations land,” Cameron said.
Many in the west feel the policies of Ottawa over the past four years have hurt them and that they also feel ignored.
Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister said he has no time to listen to westerners threaten to leave Canada, as it does not build on a relationship. He called on all leaders to try to work together.
Sask. Trade Minister Jeremy Harrison said Thursday that the provincial government is not advocating for separation.