Treaty 8 chiefs warn independence vote could result in ‘civil disobedience’

By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News ( Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta’s grand chief has written an open letter to Premier Danielle Smith calling on her to cancel October’s referendum on whether to pursue a future independence referendum. “We state this plainly so that there can be no misunderstanding: there is no lawful path by which Alberta can pursue separation from Canada while bypassing the rights, consent, and constitutional status of Treaty 8 First Nations,” wrote Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi in the June 3 correspondence.