Seven chiefs from the Treaty 6 Confederacy met with King Charles III, bringing Alberta concerns to Buckingham Palace this week in a historic moment dominated by threats of separatism and treaty concerns.
The meeting was laden with meaning for the chiefs, coming on the 150th anniversary of the signing of the treaty — and on the heels of vocal First Nations protest over UCP support for a pending referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada.
“We made him aware of the separatism issue in Alberta and the threat to treaty it represents,” said Treaty 6 Grand Chief Joey Pete.
“He expressed his concern and committed to learning more. I took the opportunity to ask the King on behalf of Treaty No. 6, 7 and 8 nations to issue a royal proclamation reaffirming our sacred treaty relationship and sovereign rights. It was a significant meeting as treaty partners and equals.”
Louis Bull Tribe Chief Desmond Bull said it was an important opportunity.
“We also used this time to alert him to the international implications of the threats our treaties currently face and Canada’s ongoing failure to meet treaty obligations. He took it all very seriously,” Chief Bull said.
The chiefs invited the King to the 150th commemoration of Treaty 6, set for Aug. 20-23 in Fort Carlton, Sask.
Overall, the visit was positive, said Mistawasis Nêhiyawak Chief Daryl Watson.
“The King was welcoming and was engaged, asking questions about what is happening on First Nations and how treaties are being implemented and honoured,” Watson said, according to a news release published on Indigenous Lands and Resources Today.
“He is committed to upholding the honour of the Crown under treaty.”
Chief Edwin Ananas of Beardy’s and Okemasis’ Cree Nation, Chief Larry Ahenkew of Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, Coun. Gary LaPlante of Stoney Knoll First Nation, and Chief Christine Longjohn of Sturgeon Lake First Nation also took part in the meeting.
The King has visited Alberta on several occasions as Prince of Wales, including on the 100th anniversary of Treaty 7 at Blackfoot Crossing in 1976. At that time, the Kainai First Nation gave him the name Red Crow.
Sawhney disagrees
In a scrum at the legislature on Thursday, Indigenous Relations Minister Rajan Sawhney said she was aware of the chiefs’ trip, and spoke with Pete the weekend before he left about things he wanted to bring before the King.
At the time, he hadn’t mentioned Crown-treaty violations, she said.
“I would like to know more about what he thinks those treaty violations are, and I think I’d have to speak to him, to hear from him directly, to understand his perspective, because at this point, I don’t agree with those allegations,” she said, hailing Monday’s slated meeting between Prime Minister Mark Carney, King Charles III and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“Dialogue is important at every level about a number of different issues. Everybody has their perspective. I’d be interested in learning more about what comes out of those meetings, and certainly I do want to speak to Chief Pete as well,” she said.
Sawhney told reporters last Thursday she believes she has addressed the concerns of First Nations leaders.
“I always affirm that the Constitution is the highest law in the land and section 35 rights are entrenched in the Constitution. There’s no legislation, policy or decision that will ever supersede that,” Sawhney said.
Chiefs’ ongoing concern with separatism
First Nations chiefs and members have
of the threat of separatism from within the government.
In January, Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation filed a lawsuit that claims the provincial government, its chief electoral officer and the attorney general of Canada breached their legal and treaty obligations by conspiring to pave the way for the controversial separation question to be put to voters in an October vote.
On Monday, dozens gathered at the Alberta legislature to support the Opposition’s no-confidence vote and urge Premier Danielle Smith and the UCP government to denounce separatism.
Government house leader Joseph Schow called Nenshi’s motion a “political stunt.”
Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation Chief Sheldon Sunshine said people across Alberta and Canada should take note of what is happening in the legislature.
“We’ve just witnessed what the UCP really think of First Nations here — when they minimize First Nations and call this non-confidence vote by the Alberta chiefs a stunt by the NDP, I take that personally,” Sunshine said.
“I want to make it known here today that we will do everything we can to stand up against this type of government today, tomorrow and all the days ahead.”
What the polls say
According to a Leger poll conducted in March, the majority (70 per cent of respondents) of
Albertans support the province staying in Confederation
and most are very concerned the separation movement is gaining traction.
Only 17 per cent believed Alberta should become an independent country and four per cent believe Alberta should join the United States.
When it comes to concerns about the separation movement gaining traction in Alberta, 58 per cent said they were concerned and 37 per cent said they were not.
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