The Chief of Piikani Nation and President of the Blackfoot Confederacy released a statement on the court’s decision to quash the Alberta separation in favour of First Nations.
The Chief of Piikani Nation and President of the Blackfoot Confederacy released a statement on the court’s decision to quash the Alberta separation in favour of First Nations.
“Today marks a historic victory for Piikani Nation, the Blackfoot Confederacy, and all Treaty peoples,” Troy Knowlton, the Chief of Piikani Nation and President of the Blackfoot Confederacy, stated in a release.
The Alberta Court of King’s Bench had stopped the process, because no consultation had occurred, and “Alberta breached its duty to consult with the applicants.”
“This decision recognizes what we have said from the beginning: the provincial government failed in its constitutional duty to consult with First Nations, and proceeding with an unconstitutional question would have caused irreparable harm to our Treaty rights,” Knowlton added in his release. “This ruling is a clear affirmation of the Treaties we signed with the Crown. Treaty 7 is not a historical footnote — it is a living, constitutionally protected agreement that established a nation-to-nation relationship and guaranteed our rights to our lands, our way of life, and our self-determination.”
Knowlton adds that through this court decision, the court has confirmed that those rights cannot be “ignored, overridden, or placed at risk by a citizen initiative or provincial referendum.”
This decision, Knowlton says, reinforces that Alberta cannot unilaterally alter the constitutional fabric of the country without fulfilling its legal obligation to Indigenous people.
“Our treaties predate the province of Alberta itself. They are the foundation upon which this province was built. Any attempt to sever Alberta from Canada without proper consultation and accommodation of our rights is unlawful and unconstitutional,” Knowlton said. “Today’s judgment vindicates that position. We are grateful to our legal team, our partners in the Blackfoot Confederacy, and all those who supported this effort.”
Piikani Nation remains committed to protecting their Treaty rights through every lawful means available.
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