The Chiefs of the Blackfoot Confederacy are reaffirming their position on Treaty rights and constitutional obligations following a significant ruling from the Court of King’s Bench that quashed a citizen led petition seeking to advance a referendum on Alberta separation.

In a decision released May 13, 2026, Justice Shaina Leonard ruled that Alberta breached its duty to consult with First Nations and determined that the province’s Chief Electoral Officer should not have issued the separatist petition. The ruling follows legal action brought forward by Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy, which argued that the referendum process and recent legislative changes enabled a constitutional process to move forward without consultation with Treaty First Nations.

Justice Leonard found there could be “no doubt” that Alberta separation would impact Treaties 7 and 8, confirming what First Nations leadership has consistently maintained throughout the legal challenge: that Alberta separation is not simply a provincial political issue, but one that directly engages Treaty rights, constitutional law, and the Nation-to-Nation relationship between First Nations and the Crown.

The Court further determined that amendments made by Alberta’s government to the citizen initiative process triggered a duty to consult and that no consultation occurred. The decision also concluded that the separatist petition should never have been reissued after an earlier court ruling found the original question unconstitutional.

The ruling builds on an earlier decision issued in April, when the Court granted a stay preventing certification of the petition while the legal applications were being heard. At that time, the Court acknowledged that allowing the process to continue without review presented the risk of ongoing and irreparable harm to Treaty relationships.

For the Blackfoot Confederacy, the latest ruling reinforces what leadership has repeatedly stated in recent months: that Treaty First Nations cannot be excluded from decisions that directly impact their territories, rights, and future. Blackfoot Treaty 7 predates the creation of Alberta and remains a living and binding agreement that continues to guide how these lands are shared and governed.

The Chiefs also pointed to broader concerns surrounding narratives advanced by separatist movements that attempt to diminish or sideline First Nations jurisdiction in discussions about Alberta’s future. Leadership maintains that any process attempting to redefine the constitutional framework of Canada without Treaty First Nations is fundamentally flawed.

The Blackfoot Confederacy continues to stand alongside Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation, Tsuut’ina Nation, and Treaty Nations across Alberta who have raised concerns regarding the referendum process and the lack of consultation.

In response to the ruling, the Chiefs of the Blackfoot Confederacy issued the following statement: