First Nations leaders from Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations say they raised concerns about Alberta’s separatist movement during a meeting with Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.
Grand Council Chief Joey Pete was part of a group of Indigenous leaders from Alberta and Saskatchewan who met privately with the King for nearly an hour. Pete said he felt the King listened carefully and understood the importance of treaties.
Pete said he also spoke about the division he believes talk of Alberta separating from Canada is causing among residents.
Treaty 6, signed in 1876, covers large parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The treaty is an agreement between First Nations and the Crown to share land while protecting certain rights for Indigenous nations. Those rights are recognized in the Constitution Act, 1982.
Pete said these treaty commitments mean First Nations must be involved in any discussions about Alberta leaving Canada.
Trevor Mercredi said treaty rights could create major legal challenges if the province tried to separate. He said the land covered by treaties cannot simply belong to the province.
Experts say treaties make the issue of provincial separation more complicated because provinces exist on lands that were negotiated between First Nations and the Crown.
