A Statement from James Anderson, Leader of the Green Party of Alberta
Alberta stands on Treaty land.
Long before Alberta became a province, the relationship between the Crown and First Nations was established through the Royal Proclamation of 1763. That historic proclamation recognized that Indigenous Nations possessed their own lands and that those lands could only be shared through respectful negotiation not through unilateral action.
That relationship was strengthened the following year at the Treaty of Niagara in 1764, where the Crown and First Nations affirmed a nation-to-nation relationship founded on peace, friendship, mutual respect, and shared responsibility. Through Indigenous oral tradition, diplomacy, and the exchange of wampum, these commitments became more than words on paper, they became living promises between peoples.
Those same principles carried forward into Treaties 6, 7, and 8, the treaties upon which Alberta exists today.
For many First Nations, these treaties were never intended to be historical transactions that ended with a signature. They are living relationships that require continual renewal between governments and peoples. Canadian courts have increasingly recognized that treaty interpretation must consider both the written treaty text and the oral promises and understandings shared during negotiations. The Honour of the Crown demands no less.
The Green Party of Alberta recognizes that treaties are not solely a federal responsibility. While the original treaties were entered into with the Crown, today's Crown is represented through the governments that exercise constitutional authority on behalf of Albertans and Canadians. Provincial governments make decisions every day about health care, education, child and family services, natural resources, environmental stewardship, economic development, housing, justice, and many other matters that directly affect the lives of First Nations and the implementation of treaty commitments.
Municipal governments also have an important role. As governments created by the Province, municipalities make decisions about land use, infrastructure, emergency services, recreation, economic development, and community planning. Those decisions should be informed by respectful relationships with Treaty Nations and by an understanding that reconciliation is strengthened through partnership, not conflict.
Every order of government exercising Crown authority has a responsibility to uphold the Honour of the Crown within its own jurisdiction. Treaty relationships are not someone else's responsibility they are a shared constitutional responsibility.
This is why the Green Party of Alberta believes it is time to renew Alberta's relationship with Treaty Nations. Renewal does not mean rewriting history. It means honouring the commitments that already exist. It means building regular government-to-government dialogue, listening to Indigenous knowledge and oral traditions alongside written agreements, and working together in good faith to address the challenges and opportunities we share.
Recent public comments directed toward Alberta's Treaty Chiefs have not reflected the respect these relationships deserve. While constitutional questions can and should be debated in a free and democratic society, dismissing First Nations leaders with remarks such as telling them to "check themselves," or characterizing their concerns as "childish nonsense," undermines the spirit of respect, dialogue, and mutual recognition that has guided treaty relationships since 1763. Alberta's leaders should respond to disagreement with thoughtful engagement, not personal dismissal.
The Green Party of Alberta believes Alberta is strongest when governments treat one another with dignity and respect. Our future depends upon rebuilding trust, not deepening division.
Treaties are not obstacles to Alberta's success. They are part of the constitutional foundation upon which our province was built. They remind us that this land is shared, that relationships matter, and that our responsibilities to one another do not end when a document is signed.
The Green Party of Alberta believes that renewing treaty relationships is not simply an Indigenous issue. It is an Alberta issue. It is about building a province where governments work together, where commitments are honoured, and where every community has the opportunity to thrive.
The principles established in the Royal Proclamation of 1763, affirmed through the Treaty of Niagara, and carried forward in Treaties 6, 7, and 8 continue to offer Alberta a path forward, one rooted in peace, friendship, mutual respect, shared stewardship, and hope for future generations.
That is the relationship we believe Alberta should strive to renew.
Leader | James Anderson,
Green Party of Alberta
