OTTAWA — The Assembly of First Nations passed an emergency resolution Thursday opposing Alberta’s independence movement and demanding First Nations consent before any change to the province’s constitutional status.The resolution was introduced at the AFN Annual General Assembly by Sunchild First Nation, Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 First Nations Grand Chief Joey Pete and Proxy Chief Matthew Coon Come of the Cree Nation of Nemaska in Quebec.It declares that no province has the authority to alter, diminish or extinguish treaty rights or change the constitutional relationship between First Nations and the Crown.“First Nations rights are not negotiable and continued cooperation among First Nations will be essential in protecting Treaty Rights for future generations,” a joint statement accompanying the resolution said.The AFN resolution is a political declaration and does not carry the force of law or cancel Alberta’s citizen-led independence petition..Independence organizers submitted nearly 302,000 signatures to Elections Alberta in May, well above the 177,732 required for the petition to succeed.The proposed question asks: “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?”Elections Alberta is verifying the signatures and is expected to announce the results by July 27.The AFN statement said chiefs from Treaty 6, Treaty 8, Treaty 7 and the Blackfoot Confederacy met with First Nations leaders from Quebec and Labrador on July 13 to discuss the independence movement.Quebec chiefs shared their experiences during that province’s previous independence campaigns and argued that First Nations must be treated as distinct rights holders during any constitutional negotiations.Alberta chiefs maintained that an independence process would directly affect First Nations’ rights, lands, territories and future.The resolution calls on federal and provincial governments to uphold the honour of the Crown and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.It also calls for any constitutional or political process affecting First Nations to proceed only with what it describes as their “free, prior, and informed consent.”Premier Danielle Smith has said she does not personally support Alberta independence but believes Albertans should be allowed to vote on the province’s future if organizers meet the legal requirements.In a May address, Smith said approximately 700,000 Albertans had signed either the Stay Free Alberta independence petition or the competing Forever Canadian initiative.“Albertans are clearly telling us they want to have a vote on this issue,” Smith said at the time.The AFN statement accused Smith’s government of promoting greater autonomy from Ottawa and normalizing the possibility of independence without adequately consulting First Nations.“Since taking office, Premier Danielle Smith and the current Government of Alberta have undertaken a coordinated political agenda to advance Alberta’s autonomy from the Government of Canada,” the statement said.The Alberta government has argued that Ottawa has repeatedly interfered in areas of provincial jurisdiction and harmed the province through federal energy and environmental policies.A successful petition would begin a political and constitutional process that could include a provincial referendum and negotiations involving Alberta, Ottawa and other affected parties.The AFN said First Nations from across Canada supported the emergency resolution and pledged solidarity with Alberta treaty nations.
