‘Historic victory’ for Piikani as court quashes separatist petition

By Somya Lohia, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Shootin’ the Breeze Piikani Nation is calling a recent Alberta Court of King’s Bench decision a “historic victory” for treaty rights. A May 13 ruling by Justice Shaina Leonard struck down the approval of a citizen-led petition that would have triggered a referendum on Alberta separating from Canada. Chief Troy Knowlton says the decision affirms that Treaty 7 is a “living, constitutionally protected agreement” that cannot be overridden by a citizen-led initiative or provincial referendum. Leonard’s decision quashed chief electoral officer Go…