Alberta Fact Check: First Nations DO NOT monolithically oppose an independence referendum
Four Alberta chiefs took part in the court challenge against the citizens’ initiative petitioning. When combined, the membership of the bands represented by the chiefs is just over 9% of Alberta’s First Nations population.
In response to the court ruling quashing the Stay Free Alberta petition to invoke an independence referendum, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam was reported as saying, “The court has spoken — and so have the First Nations.”
While the court may have spoken through Liberal appointed Justice Shaina Leonard, it only spoke on behalf of a tiny segment of Alberta’s First Nations. Chief Adam only represents one small Indigenous band, and it can’t be assumed he speaks for all of them.
Adam is the chief of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, which has a total of 1,567 registered members. Only 33 of those members live on reserve, and 213 live on adjacent Crown land.
At best, Adam may speak for 0.55% of Alberta’s Indigenous population.
Considering Allen’s habit of taking foreign funding and his history of adverse interactions with the RCMP, his voice is not one of the most credible when seeking input from First Nations, though legacy media regularly seek him out for comment.
Four Alberta chiefs took part in the court challenge against the citizens’ initiative petitioning. When combined, the membership of the bands represented by the chiefs is just over 9% of Alberta’s First Nations population. The other 44 Indigenous chiefs in Alberta did not take part in the court action.
Recent polling commissioned by Act For Alberta found 46% of First Nations respondents would vote for independence in a referendum.
This indicates that not only are First Nations members in Alberta divided on the question of independence, but support for the concept may be stronger among First Nations members than any other identifiable group in the province.
Cory Morgan
Cory Morgan is an Alberta-based columnist, political commentator, and longtime advocate for Western Canadian independence. He is the author of the recently updated book The Sovereigntist’s Handbook, a grassroots guide for independence supporters and political activists.
http://sovereigntistshandbook.com/Featured Stories
COMMENTS
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Bruce Atchison commented 2026-05-15 19:56:04 -0400These chiefs and the left are stoking racism. With their constant demands for power, they are driving a wedge of hatred between non native people and indigenous people who just want jobs. Let’s hope this nonsense ends soon or there will be unstable folks taking their anger out on innocent people.
