The Blood Tribe continues to keep Members informed about our ongoing legal challenge to Alberta’s efforts to hold a province-wide referendum on separation from Canada. For background on these issues, please refer to the Blood Tribe’s earlier communications dated January 8, 2026, and January 30, 2026, which are available on the Blood Tribe’s website.
As Members may recall, the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta previously issued in December 2025, which stated that Alberta’s separation from Canada would contravene the Constitution Act, 1982 and the rights of First Nations under the Blackfoot Treaty. On the basis of the Court’s decision, the Chief Electoral Officer of Alberta rejected the previous petition proposing Alberta’s separation.
Rather than respect that decision, Alberta changed the law to remove the constitutional protections that were previously in place. The removal of these protections enabled a new, nearly identical petition for Alberta’s separation from Canada to be advanced through Alberta’s Citizen Initiative Act, the law that allows these types of citizen-led petition to move forward towards a referendum.
This new petition for Alberta’s separation from Canada was approved by the Chief Electoral Officer of Alberta. This process occurred without any consultation with the Blackfoot Nations.
In January 2026, and in response to the Chief Electoral Officer’s decision to approve the new petition, the Blood Tribe, Piikani Nation, and Siksika Nation commenced a joint legal proceeding to protect the Treaty and Aboriginal Rights of each of our Nations and Members. That legal proceeding challenges the Chief Electoral Officer’s approval of the current proposal seeking the separation of Alberta from Canada. It also asserts a constitutional challenge to Alberta’s Citizen Initiative Act.
Earlier this week, the Blackfoot Nations’ evidence and arguments were heard before the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta in Edmonton. Chief Traveller Plaited Hair and members of Council were in attendance. The Court also heard legal submissions from the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, who filed their own legal challenges on similar grounds.
We expect that the decision of the Court on the main issues could be issued as soon as 6-8 weeks from now. We also expect that the Court may issue an earlier interim decision in the next week or two, regarding whether the process for the current petition for separation should be paused while the Court writes its main decision.
The Blood Tribe’s position remains unchanged. Alberta cannot pursue separation without our consent. Our Treaty rights are constitutionally protected and non-negotiable. The Blood Tribe stands with all Treaty Nations in opposing any effort to undermine the foundations of our Treaty relationship. The Blood Tribe will continue to update Members as the matter progresses, and seek all legal remedies available to us to challenge this separatist effort.
Blood Tribe Chief and Council
Blood Tribe/Kainaiwa
