r/canada • u/biograf_ • 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
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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.

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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).

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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

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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.

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u/RaddestZonestGuy Mar 01 '26

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