The Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations issued a statement Thursday evening, accusing Premier Danielle Smith of comments and actions that promote the idea of a referendum on Alberta's separation from Canada, calling it reckless and a violation of a treaty agreement.
The statement affirmed that a referendum on separation would be a violation of the treaty relationship between First Nations and the Crown.
"They are binding commitments that cannot be dismissed or overridden by separatist ambition," the statement reads.
"Our treaties are internationally binding, solemn covenants and cannot be broken by any province or political party.
"Let us be absolutely clear: our nations do not and will never consent to the separation of our treaty territories. These lands were never ceded, nor surrendered."
The statement ends with a call for Smith to "immediately abandon this dangerous rhetoric and recognize that treaty obligations are not optional."
Smith was reportedly sent similar letters by the chief of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation in northern Alberta and the chief of Mikisew Cree First Nation in northeastern Alberta.
Speculation regarding a potential referendum on separation began after the province's recent introduction of the proposed Election Statutes Amendment Act, 2025.
The election act governs the process for provincial elections, by-elections and plebiscites in Alberta.
The proposed changes include amending the Citizen Initiative Act - which allows eligible voters in Alberta to propose legislative or policy initiatives and constitutional referendum questions - by setting the threshold for all successful petitions at 10 per cent of eligible voters who participated in the last general election.
Also proposed is updating the Recall Act by lowering the signature threshold and extending the timeframe to collect signatures.
While critics say the proposed changes would open the door for a separation referendum, Smith gave a rebuttal at a , during the question and answer period, stating the Citizen Initiative Act applies to all questions, but at the moment, there are no active petitions.
"We respect all of the treaty rights that are enshrined in the Constitution under Section 35 and the Citizen Initiative Act is not new legislation and it was not designed to, nor does it, breach treaty agreements," Smith said in response to a question regarding how her government would ensure any separation referendum would respect and not breach Treaty 6, 7, and 8.
"The Citizen Initiative Act, I think, is the purest form of democracy we have and it gives all Albertans an opportunity to play a direct role in the democratic process by inviting them to have a direct say on issues that fellow citizens want to take to the people," said Smith.
"Any Albertan can put an idea forward on any topic and if they're able to get the number of signatures then it would go to a vote and that includes a vote of members of First Nations and we encourage Indigenous Peoples to participate in the process."
In a follow-up question, Smith was asked if she was risking the province's relationship with First Nations to appease a vocal minority that wants to separate from Canada.
Smith responded that the proposed changes to the Election Act that would lower the threshold for referendums are still higher than other jurisdictions.
"It needs to be high, but it also needs to be achievable," said Smith, adding that she wouldn't pre-judge any petition citizens may bring forward.
"Right now, this is just enabling legislation so that any citizen is able to go out, garner signatures, and if they're successful, I guess we can then comment on what is actually on the table," she said.
"This is enabling direct democracy. I think we should embrace it."
