Photo: First Nations chiefs spoke at an April 8 rally in Edmonton, across the street from the courthouse where lawyers for Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy were attempting to halt the collection of signatures for an Alberta independence referendum. Photo by Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Alberta Native News
First Nations chiefs from Treaties 6, 7 and 8 spoke at an April 8 rally in Edmonton’s Churchill Square, across the street from the courthouse where lawyers for Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) and the Blackfoot Confederacy were attempting to halt the collection of signatures for an independence referendum.
“We gather here today in the heart of Treaty land to raise one message so loud, so clear that no government, no institution and no power can ignore it,” said Chief Sheldon Sunshine of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, whose lawyer made arguments against the separatist petition in court the previous day.
“The Treaties are alive, the nations who signed them are still here. They’re still strong.”
ACFN Chief Allan Adam told attendees that the reason why the Canadian government “sits there and does nothing” as Alberta’s government empowers the separatist movement is that First Nations are the “true government … of this land.”
“Canada and Alberta are only corporations to work with us,” Adam said. “They have no right to determine where we’re going or what we’re going to do as First Nations people. We determine where we’re going, where we live, and what we do on a day-to-day basis, because we determine this is our homeland for now and forever.”
The separatist movement represents a “group of individuals” who want to “extract the resources” without constraints, he added.
“The resources are protected by environmental laws. Those environmental laws are protected by aboriginal laws,” said Adam. “In order to exploit the natural resources, they have to go through us.”
He warned attendees not to “be tricked” by the appearance that the provincial and federal governments are in conflict.
“Canada is with them. They don’t say it, but they go hand in hand,” Adam said.
The three Blackfoot nations joining ACFN in asking the Court of King’s Bench to order a pause in the collection of separatist petition signatures are the Piikani, Siksika and Kainai bands.
Piikani Chief Troy Knowlton, who serves as the president of the Blackfoot Confederacy, met with Premier Danielle Smith and some cabinet ministers on Tuesday.
“I was able to tell her face to face, your separatism agenda is nothing more than political fantasy,” Knowlton told rally-goers.
“You allow the white supremacist racists and bigots to be able to come out of their homes and yell and scream, ‘I don’t like First Nations. I don’t like immigrants, I don’t like Blacks.’ She sat there with her head down as I told her this.”
The UCP government’s neglect of Treaty rights means that “First Nations are united more than ever in our existence,” he added.
Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations Grand Chief Joey Pete said that he often reflects on the “roads I drive on, the concrete I stand on, but what’s under that?”
“That’s our land,” he said to applause. “When you’re out there hunting, fishing, doing ceremony, everything, when you connect back to the land, you are the land.”
The rally was attended by local NDP MLAs Brooks Arcand-Paul, Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse, Janis Irwin and David Shepherd, as well as former NDP MP Blake Desjarlais, who now serves as Mayor Andrew Knack’s chief of staff, and former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk.
Arcand-Paul, a lawyer from Alexander First Nation, told reporters that Premier Smith needs to be beyond meeting with chiefs and actually address the substance of their concerns.
He noted that Alberta Environment is planning on exempting celebrity businessman Kevin O’Leary’s AI data centre proposed for SLCN’s traditional lands from an environmental review, despite concerns Chief Sunshine has expressed about its impact on nearby Little Smoky River.
“[First Nations] are constantly going to the courts because this government does not listen to our chiefs,” said Arcand-Paul.
Calahoo Stonehouse, a former band councillor for Michel First Nation, said that the rally represented a “movement of love.”
“It’s love for the land, love for the water, love for the people, love for our province and love for this country,” she said.