The Blackfoot Confederacy is expressing its opposition to Alberta separation. (Image Credit: Blackfoot Confederacy)

By David Opinko

Blackfoot Confederacy opposed to Alberta separation, sighting Treaty rights

Feb 2, 2026 | 11:00 AM

Indigenous leaders in southern Alberta say they will not support the province’s potential exit from Canada.

The Blackfoot Confederacy, comprising the Siksika Nation, Kainai Nation, Piikani Nation, and Amskapi Piikani, states that Treaty 7 was reached with the Government of Canada, not Alberta.

The Chiefs say their authority comes from the Creator, from Natural Law, and from the promises made in the Treaty, and that “these foundations cannot be altered, reinterpreted, or dissolved by any provincial political movements.”

“Any proposal to separate Alberta from Canada has no jurisdiction over the Blackfoot Confederacy, our lands, our Treaties, or our Nations. Treaty 7 is a nation-to-nation agreement with the Crown – not with the Province of Alberta. No provincial government holds the authority to unmake or renegotiate the Treaty relationship,” reads a statement from the Blackfoot Confederacy Chiefs.

They add that First Nation lands are not provincial assets, and that they will determine their own futures.

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“The Blackfoot Confederacy remains committed to working with all levels of government – federal, provincial, and international – on matters that uphold Treaty, strengthen our Nations, and protect the well-being of our people. But we will not be drawn into movements that disregard our sovereignty or threaten the stability of Treaty relationships.”

The Chiefs are calling on the provincial government to respect their Treaty agreements, and that all future discussions about the political status of Alberta must begin with recognition of Indigenous sovereignty, and must include the full participation and consent of the impacted Treaty Nations.

A citizen petition in support of separation is currently active in Alberta.

Organizers are collecting signatures for the question, “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?”

The full list of signing locations for the petition can be accessed here.

READ MORE: Citizen petition on Alberta separation approved