Western Standard senior columnist Cory Morgan is challenging two trespassing tickets issued by Siksika Nation Protective Services, with legal support from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms. The tickets followed Morgan's March visit to the Siksika Nation, where he filmed a video highlighting what he described as serious social issues on the reserve, including housing shortages, lack of clean water, crime, and poverty.Morgan, known for his blunt commentary on social and political matters, shared the narrated tour with his over 68,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter) and 8,000 YouTube subscribers. The video has attracted more than 38,000 views and sparked mixed reactions online.During the visit, Morgan says he remained on public roads and designated sites, such as Sun College, historical landmarks, and a cemetery. According to Siksika Nation’s own bylaw, individuals “travelling on a public road on or through the Reserve” are permitted access to those areas.Nonetheless, on April 9, Morgan was served with two $1,000 tickets for alleged trespassing. His legal counsel, constitutional lawyer Marty Moore, argues that the tickets are not about unauthorized access but rather an attempt to silence criticism.“These charges appear to be an effort to suppress Mr. Morgan’s Charter-protected freedom of expression and freedom of the press under section 2(b), and his right to liberty under section 7,” Moore said. “First Nations are government entities obligated to respect the Charter rights of Canadians.”Moore contends that the tickets were issued in response to the content of Morgan’s video rather than any actual bylaw infraction. “Mr. Morgan did not violate the trespass bylaw. This is about targeting his message,” he added.Morgan said he will continue to shine a light on reserve conditions and is not backing down from what he calls an effort to intimidate him.“I am committed to exposing the conditions on Canadian indigenous reserves while seeking effective system solutions to the problem,” Morgan said. “I will not let myself be intimidated by the Siksika Nation leadership, who appear more interested in hiding the realities of conditions on their reserve than improving them.”He also expressed appreciation for the Justice Centre’s support, calling the legal fight essential to preserving press freedom and mobility rights in Canada.
