MOHKINSTSIS (CALGARY, AB) – April 07, 2026 – The Blackfoot Confederacy Tribal Council met with Premier Danielle Smith and Ministers at the Westin Calgary Airport as part of its annual leadership meeting with the sitting Premier of Alberta. This meeting has been held each year since the Protocol Agreement was established in 2017 and renewed in 2019, and remains the longest running agreement of its kind between the Blackfoot Confederacy and the Government of Alberta.

The 2026 session, hosted by Kainai Blood Tribe, brought together more than 30 representatives from across the Confederacy, including Chiefs, Council, senior leadership, and technical teams from Kainai, Piikani, Siksika, and Amskapi Piikani. Chairman of the Amskapi Piikani Nation, Rodney Gervais, was in attendance alongside leadership from all Nations. The meeting opened with prayer by Siksapoo (Patrick Black Plume) and was carried by the Baby Flats Drum Group, grounding the gathering in Blackfoot law, ceremony, and collective responsibility.

This was a direct and disciplined engagement. Each Chief spoke on behalf of their Nation, bringing forward priorities and realities from their communities without dilution. Chiefs stated clearly that actions and messaging from the provincial government, whether intentional or not, have contributed to increased division, including rising instances of racism and hate directed toward Indigenous and Blackfoot people. It was emphasized that this environment is unacceptable, that it stands in opposition to Treaty, and that the Confederacy will not accept continued division against its people.

Premier Smith and Ministers received these positions directly. The discussion was substantive, with follow up questions, acknowledgement of concerns, and direction for items to be brought back through the Protocol Agreement structure for response and action.

The Confederacy recognizes that its people carry different views and priorities. Engagement with government does not signal agreement. These meetings exist to confront both alignment and opposition directly. Friction, disagreement, and conflict are necessary to move conditions forward. The Confederacy will not be limited by division where progress is required and will continue to engage in a manner that produces outcomes for Blackfoot people.

The Protocol Agreement remains the mechanism that advances this work across priority areas including child and family services, education, health, justice, environment, transportation, economic development, and emerging areas such as tourism and housing. It is through this structure that the Confederacy continues to assert its role not as a stakeholder, but as a Treaty partner with established authority and responsibility to its people.

The Confederacy is aware of concerns from its membership regarding engagement with the provincial government. This meeting was not undertaken in spite of those concerns. It was undertaken as an obligation of leadership. Diplomacy is required to secure change within systems that directly impact Blackfoot people. Engagement is required to move forward.

More than 30 Blackfoot leaders entered the room unified, direct, and clear in their positions. The Confederacy did not step back from difficult conversations. It advanced its priorities, asserted its authority, and held the Province accountable within the framework of Treaty and the Protocol Agreement.

The Confederacy will continue to engage, to challenge, and to advance its position with consistency and strength. The responsibility remains to ensure that Blackfoot people are not navigating these systems from behind, but shaping them with authority, clarity, and purpose.

A copy of the Protocol Agreement between the Blackfoot Confederacy and Government of Alberta is included below.