Signs read “this is treaty land, honour the land, honour the people,” and “stand with First Nations,” as speakers stressed the ongoing relevance of treaty rights. Sylvestre is the head of Stay Free Alberta, the group gathering signatures for a referendum petition. In addition, the ACFN lawyers argued there were procedural flaws in the approval process. The First Nation's lawyers said the decision to allow the referendum process to move forward triggered that duty because it carries the potential to negatively affect treaty rights. The transformation of a territorial border into an international border would contravene these rights, argued ACFN lawyer Kevin Hille.

Source: CBC News April 09, 2026 20:10 UTC