Treaty chiefs prepared to challenge Alberta Sovereignty Act in courts

The Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act passed Thursday in the legislature, and emotions remain high with Indigenous groups.

Chief Tony Alexis of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation says the government forged ahead without regard for Indigenous people, and reconciliation is happening now because of actions like this.

“Because of the residential schools and the impact of residential schools. This is another example of that. Where the government has their own idea of what is going to benefit them,” Alexis said.

“They missed the spirit of reconciliation.”

This comes after Chiefs at the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), including Alexis, voted Thursday to publicly oppose the Liberal government’s proposed gun-control legislation and to stand against the sovereignty bills in Alberta and Saskatchewan’s legislatures.

The biggest concern from Treaty Chiefs is land protection and use.

“They would have the power to do as they please, so in our mind, it’s a resource extraction bill,” Alexis said.

The assembly affirmed that Indigenous leaders in Alberta could count on its support in their fight against the province’s own Sovereignty Act, introduced last week by United Conservative Party Premier Danielle Smith.

“We’ll be standing there to oppose it, and if need be, we’ll take it to the courts,” Alexis said.

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A statement from the Premier’s office said the Sovereignty Act will respect Indigenous treaty rights and reconciliation, including economic reconciliation.

The statement also said they know there are chiefs from Treaties 6, 7, and 8 who oppose the bill and are working to arrange meetings.

It says the province has already met with the Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council after the bill passed. There they spoke about working together on infrastructure and transportation projects, among other important issues for Indigenous people.

“As First Nations, we want to be communicated with at the beginning, when things are just being developed. We should be sitting at the table. If we are not at the table, then it’s about us without us,” Alexis said.

The NDP sent out a statement saying the UCP is infringing on Treaty rights. Brooks Arcand-Paul, Cree lawyer and NDP candidate for Edmonton-West Henday says that legal challenges stemming from Bill 1 appear to be unavoidable, particularly for Indigenous nations

“It’s clear that they do not respect first nations or value the inherent rights that we hold. treaties are foundational to the confederation, and this act violates settled case law on the treaties, section 35 of the constitution, the honour of the crown and this gov’s legal responsibilities towards reconciliation,” Arcand-Paul said.

When asked why he isn’t doing more to oppose it, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said provinces can pass laws the federal government disagrees with, but the way to challenge them is through the courts.

-With files from The Canadian Press