Blackfoot Confederacy is launching a weekly voter information campaign for Blackfoot Niitsitapi in the lead-up to the Alberta referendum on October 19, 2026.

Each week, Blackfoot Confederacy will share clear information about the referendum, the questions being asked, voting eligibility, important dates, voting options and what Blackfoot people need to know as Treaty people.

WHAT IS BEING VOTED ON?

There will be 10 referendum questions on separate, numbered and colour-coded ballots. Questions 1–9 are Yes/No questions. Question 10 is the separation question.

It asks whether Alberta should remain a province of Canada, or whether the Government of Alberta should begin the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a future binding provincial referendum on whether Alberta should separate from Canada.

Important: Question 10 is not the final vote on separation. A Yes vote would not itself separate Alberta from Canada. It would support beginning the legal process toward a future referendum. Elections Alberta states that the result of Question 10 is not binding.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER TO NIITSITAPI?

For Blackfoot people, Alberta’s constitutional future raises important questions about Blackfoot sovereignty, Treaty rights, jurisdiction, lands, waters and the Nation-to-Nation relationship with the Crown.

Blackfoot Nations and our Treaty relationships existed long before the Province of Alberta. Blackfoot Treaty 7 is a Nation-to-Nation agreement, and Blackfoot Confederacy has stated that Blackfoot Nations are Treaty partners, not simply stakeholders in decisions concerning our lands, rights and future.

In May 2026, the Alberta Court of King’s Bench ruled in litigation concerning the earlier citizen-led separation petition that Alberta had breached its duty to consult First Nations. Blackfoot Confederacy was one of the First Nations parties involved in that legal challenge.

WHO CAN VOTE?

If you are a Canadian citizen, 18 years of age or older, and ordinarily resident in Alberta, you may be eligible to vote.

Being First Nations does not prevent an eligible Blackfoot person from voting. Elections Alberta also provides identification and attestation options for certain circumstances, including electors residing on a First Nation.

Advance voting is scheduled for October 13–17, 2026. Referendum Day is Monday, October 19, 2026, with voting places scheduled to be open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Eligible electors can also vote by mail through the Special Ballot process. Applications close October 9, 2026, and completed ballots must be received by Elections Alberta before 5:00 p.m. on October 16, 2026.

KNOW THE QUESTION. KNOW YOUR OPTIONS. KNOW HOW TO VOTE.

This is Week 1 of Blackfoot Confederacy’s Alberta Referendum 2026 campaign. Follow Blackfoot Confederacy communications each week as we provide information to help Blackfoot Niitsitapi understand the referendum and participate in the voting process.

For information about voter eligibility, identification, registration and voting options visit: www.elections.ab.ca/voters

For official referendum information visit: www.elections.ab.ca/elections/referendum