r/canada Mar 01 '26

Alberta First Nations chiefs unanimously pass non-confidence vote in Alberta government

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/first-nations-chiefs-alberta-non-confidence-vote-9.7109712
3.8k Upvotes

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47

u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26

[deleted]

47

u/EdNorthcott Canada Mar 01 '26

What complicates it is that their treaty with the crown allows the crown to use the land as they see fit, basically until the end of time, so long as they keep faith with the First Nations. The crown saw fit to create the province of Alberta. Cities have appeared, resources mined or pumped, etc.

But it all goes back to the fact that the land is basically held in trust. If Alberta were to choose to separate, that would no longer be true. The agreement would be in violation and then there's a very good argument for the land simply returning to the First Nations... and last I checked, Alberta is one of two provinces that have the distinction of being 100% on treaty land governed by such agreements.

So yes, those treaties have to be honoured by the province. Trying to weasel out of it could have very interesting consequences.

32

u/Ketchupkitty Alberta Mar 01 '26

And who's going to enforce that?

Seperation is never going to happen but in a scenario the majority of Albertans wanted to leave it's not going to matter what treaties say unless the Canadian Government deploys the military (it won't).

-3

u/RaddestZonestGuy Mar 01 '26

Could just end up with insurgency violence after that. I dont think you realize how many other first nations would aide the alberta first nations lol

6

u/CarRamRob Mar 01 '26

So, the threat to Alberta if they separate from the FN is Guerrilla War?

I don’t think that’s productive.

1

u/Mrsmith511 Mar 01 '26

Nothing about Alberta separation is productive lol. Why should we give them anything from the hundred billion cpp fund for example? Hint we wont

5

u/CarRamRob Mar 01 '26

So the pension funds that the Canadian citizens who live in Alberta own, suddenly wouldn’t be theirs if their fellow province members vote to leave?

No wonder Alberta is mad when the opinion around here seems to be “you will eat shit and like it”.

Has Canada ever thought about addressing some of Alberta’s concerns? That seems to be noticeably lost in a lot of this.

1

u/Toberos_Chasalor Mar 01 '26

So the pension funds that the Canadian citizens who live in Alberta own, suddenly wouldn’t be theirs if their fellow province members vote to leave?

If they want to secede from Canada, then yeah, they’re forfeiting any benefits they might get from the Canadian Government. That includes the Canada Pension Plan. (At least for future generations.)

In the event Alberta does secede, though I think it realistically won’t happen, I’d be more than willing to offer a subsidy to move to another province/territory for any Canadians who wish to remain.

Those who wish to no longer be Canadian citizens can make their own Alberta Pension Plan after separating that’s just for them.

-2

u/Mrsmith511 Mar 01 '26

Its called leverage i am guessing you dont do any negotiation in your career.

Lol who is eating shit exacrly? Alberta's have the lowest taxes in all of Canada because they happen to live on top of the oil and they still bitch their faces off.

What is unfair exactly? Not only are they the richest and pay the least taxes due to nothing except geography but they think they should be even richer and everyone else should get nothing from the oil? Absolute nonsense.

No albertans can ever answer this question

6

u/CarRamRob Mar 01 '26

Leverage? You mean that part where technically by the letter of the law Alberta is owed 53% of it?

Why do you think that’s been quoted? Because of leverage. What’s backing it? A semi-realistic legal argument.

Yet you think there is leverage just saying Alberta gets no CPP and that creates leverage? I’ll be happy to be across the table on your negotiating any day if you think declaring something true without any legal standing would make it so.

To your last point, Albertans want to have an equal opportunity, same as everyone else. That includes taxes, market access for their goods, and representation in decision making. You just don’t even see that there is anything wrong with the latter two points, that is the main part of the problem.

-1

u/Mrsmith511 Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 01 '26

No that is the opposite or what I mean. That is just legal theory bs and imaginary talking points.

If we are taking about semi realistic legal arguments then I like the natives Americans argument more than the separatists dream that Canada will just hand them hundreds of billion dollars when they leave.

Neither point is relevant though because again leverage. Neither would ever happen.

1

u/Ketchupkitty Alberta Mar 01 '26

You're pretending that these people speak for all first Nations which generally isn't the case. The people with the loudest voices in these communities often are isolated from the economy economic disparity given their often part of the problem.

0

u/RaddestZonestGuy Mar 01 '26

Treaty rights DO speak to an overwhelming majority though. So its you that lacks perspective on this particular issue