The Blackfoot Confederacy Chiefs have issued a strong statement in response to the Métis Nation of Alberta’s recent efforts to establish Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas within Blackfoot Territory. The Confederacy says the MNA has not reached out to Chiefs, Blackfoot Nations, or the Tribal Council, choosing instead to issue public statements that fail to address Blackfoot jurisdiction and authority.

The Chiefs emphasize that private land purchases and public contests for naming sites do not override Blackfoot law, stewardship, and ancestral responsibilities that have governed these lands for thousands of years. Any attempts to assert harvesting rights, Aboriginal title, or jurisdiction without Blackfoot consent are unacceptable. The Confederacy condemns actions that bypass Blackfoot protocol as continuing colonial patterns on these lands.

The Blackfoot Confederacy also acknowledged support from First Peoples across Canada and Métis citizens who have publicly stood with Blackfoot leadership. The Chiefs reaffirm that all initiatives within Blackfoot Territory must respect Blackfoot protocol and consent. “Our lands, our laws, our people, our sovereignty—these are not negotiable,” they stated.

The Confederacy remains committed to protecting Blackfoot Territory and upholding the laws and responsibilities that have guided the Blackfoot people since time immemorial.

Read the full release here: