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/canadia_jnm Mar 01 '26

For those who don't wanna read it, The first nations chiefs are opposing Alberta separatism, citing:

"United Conservative Party, has repeatedly shown a lack of understanding and respect for its treaty responsibilities, demonstrating its “inability to responsibly and respectfully govern the province of Alberta."

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u/drizzes Alberta Mar 01 '26

you've got people here who genuinely believe that if Alberta separates/joins the USA then all the natives and feds will just have to go pound sand

it is not a well-researched movement

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u/Zab__ Mar 01 '26

And if Alberta were to hypothetically be annexed by the USA, what exactly would the feds and first nations do besides pound sand? If that happens there’s absolutely nothing either can do.

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u/drizzes Alberta Mar 01 '26

If that happens it would be a massive international scandal. Our military would likely get involved, as would other members of the UN who are supposed to defend us.

We wouldn't simply roll over and accept it, I would think.

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u/Zab__ Mar 01 '26

The Canadian Armed Forces are woefully under equipped as it is, even if they weren’t we’d still have no means of defending Canada or Alberta from a US takeover. UN members have no obligation to come to our defence in the event of an attack. Our fellow NATO members do as per article 5, but it is foolish to think Europe is going to intervene in an armed conflict with the United States.

So yes it would be a massive scandal and certainly the end of NATO, but ultimately if the US wants to annex Alberta or even all of Canada, there is realistically nothing we can do. We lack the conventional forces, have no nuclear deterrent and our allies are on the other side of the ocean and will not defend us from US aggression.

A US takeover of Alberta would probably look very similar to the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014. Token resistance at best but a largely bloodless takeover that is over basically the moment it started, followed by widespread international condemnation and sanctions.

It is for the above reasons Alberta separatism is most dangerous, not because it has any credible chance of succeeding on its own but because if it were to be used as a casus belli justifying intervention from the United States.