A resounding message from First Nations groups Tuesday: the national chief says separatists can leave Alberta, but they can’t take treaty land.
Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak called the entire movement “illegitimate” to loud cheers in front of Indigenous leaders.
She says the Assembly of First Nations isn’t happy with the conversation, and she doesn’t think it would be fair for the province to pass down the debate through a citizen referendum.
“An Alberta separation referendum fuelled by misinformation and foreign interference will create the risk of a Canadian rupture,” Nepinak said.
Those pushing for an independent Alberta claim it’s time to break free from what they’ve deemed “harmful” federal policies.
But Nepinak believes those people have no right over treaty land, which handcuffs any grand plans.
In Calgary on Tuesday, she declared any proposal unconstitutional without the collective consent of First Nations.
“(Separatists) can take the dirt that maybe their ancestors brought with them under their fingernails when they came over here from other places, because that’s the only piece of land that they’re going to take,” she said.
Nepinak delivered the remarks at the second annual National Natural Resources Forum.
Conservative concerns
An Alberta MP also weighed in Tuesday.
Michelle Rempel Garner, who represents Calgary Nose Hill for the federal Conservatives, says there’s nuance to the debate.
She tells CTV News she has vocal constituents on both ends of the separation spectrum, and she’d love for the “crisis” to be a teachable moment.
“I refuse to have it just be framed as one side versus the other,” Rempel Garner said.
“I just caution people who might be tempted to evolve this into a rote political wedge to have a moment of sobriety and say, ‘No, this is a moment to bring people together in a constructive way.’”
The long-serving MP points to federal Liberal policies as responsible for the separation talk.
“You haven’t seen a national unity crisis under a Conservative government,” she said, “so I’m going to continue to fight against the long-standing issues in Alberta.”
The Alberta independence petition needs roughly 178,000 signatures by May to force a referendum.
