Mikisew Cree First Nation web logo
EDMONTON — Mikisew Cree First Nation is co hosting a two day conference next spring focused on the environmental and community impacts of oil sands tailings on Indigenous waters and lands in Alberta.
The conference, titled Tarsands Tailings Crisis: Protecting Our Water, is scheduled for March 25 and 26, 2026, at the River Cree Resort & Casino. It is being organized in partnership with Keepers of the Water.
Organizers say the event will bring together Indigenous leaders, Knowledge Keepers, legal and policy experts, youth and community advocates to discuss water protection and environmental accountability related to oil sands development.
Planned discussions include proposed approaches to treating and releasing oil sands tailings, provincial water legislation, interbasin water transfers, water shortages and conservation, and the ongoing effects of industrial development on downstream Indigenous communities.
Mikisew Cree First Nation, located in northeastern Alberta, has long raised concerns about water quality and cumulative environmental impacts affecting communities downstream of oil sands operations.
Organizers say media are invited to attend the conference, record proceedings and request interviews with speakers and organizers.
The conference will take place on the territory of Enoch Cree Nation, west of Edmonton.
Comments