First Nations Chiefs Escalate Treason Accusations Against Premier Smith
Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi says chiefs from Treaties 6, 7, and 8 will meet with RCMP to discuss their demand for investigation into the premier's separation referendum.
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The war of words between First Nations chiefs and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith escalated this week with no sign of either side backing down.
In an interview Thursday, Grand Chief of Treaty 8 First Nations Trevor Mercredi defended a call for the premier to be investigated for treason and said chiefs from treaties 6, 7, and 8 will be meeting with the RCMP to discuss their demand. Among their concerns are the premier's "disrespect of Indigenous treaty rights that are entrenched in the Constitution," her decision to hold an October referendum that could kickstart Alberta's separation from Canada, and the UCP government's push for a new pipeline to the West Coast without "healthy discussions" involving First Nations.
"It's quite concerning to have a premier that's publicly diminishing our rights at every news conference," said Mercredi.
Smith responded during an unrelated press conference in Calgary on Wednesday, saying the chiefs should "check themselves," adding "this kind of overwrought language has no place in a democracy."
On Wednesday, the Assembly of Treaty Chiefs (AOTC), representing treaties 6, 7, and 8, announced they had "unanimously passed a resolution" calling for investigation by the RCMP and auditor general into whether the premier's and UCP's actions constitute treason under the Criminal Code. "Does it fit the legal definition of treason? I'm not too sure. We're not too sure yet. That's what we want to find out," said Mercredi. "But we have to use that strong wording because of the fact that when you're starting to tear apart treaties, tear apart the Constitution, that basically binds Canada."
Mercredi also took issue with a post by the premier's chief of staff, Rob Anderson, who called the chiefs' call for investigation "a dark path that we see in third world banana republics." "It's too bad that the premier has to resort to these types of words and allowing her staff to put out social media calling the treaty chiefs a banana republic. That's something that we expect from her," Mercredi said.
The UCP government declined to offer further response, instead referring Global News to the premier's Wednesday press conference.