Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation Seeks Injunction on Alberta Referendum

In Edmonton, the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation appeared in Court of King's Bench on Tuesday to seek an injunction halting the collection of signatures for a citizen-initiated referendum on Alberta's independence from Canada. The First Nation, a signatory to Treaty 8 signed in 1899, argues that the provincial government's facilitation of the petition violates constitutional protections for Indigenous treaty rights.

The hearing before Justice Shaina Leonard focuses on Bill 14, a December law that amended the Citizen Initiative Act to remove prohibitions on unconstitutional referendum questions. This change followed a prior ruling by Justice Colin Feasby, who determined that an independence vote would infringe on section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, which safeguards Aboriginal and treaty rights. Despite that decision, Alberta did not appeal and instead proceeded with the legislation, enabling groups like Stay Free Alberta to launch their petition in January.

Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation's lawyer, Orlagh O'Kelly, told the court that Alberta lacks authority to initiate treaty alterations, as the province is not a treaty party. "Only a treaty party has jurisdiction to initiate such...