LONDON — King Charles has expressed concern about Alberta’s separatist movement after hearing from First Nations leaders who say it poses a threat to treaty rights.
Grand Chief Joey Pete of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations said the monarch raised concerns during a meeting at Buckingham Palace last week with a delegation of chiefs.
“We made him aware of the separatism issue in Alberta and the threat to treaty it represents,” Pete said in a statement. “He expressed his concern and committed to learning more.”
Pete said the King was “very interested” and asked questions during what he described as a significant meeting between treaty partners.
The delegation travelled to London in part to invite the King to attend events this summer marking the 150th anniversary of Treaty 6, signed in 1876 between the Crown and First Nations in what is now Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Pete also said the chiefs asked the King to issue a royal proclamation affirming treaty rights.
Louis Bull Tribe Chief Desmond Bull, who also attended the meeting, said discussions included what he described as Canada’s ongoing failure to meet treaty obligations.
“He took it all very seriously,” Bull said.
First Nations leaders in Alberta have been increasingly vocal in their opposition to the separatist movement, arguing any move toward secession would violate treaties with the Crown.
Some First Nations have launched legal challenges against the province over legislation allowing citizen-led petitions that could trigger a referendum on separation.
A campaign to force a referendum is currently underway, with organizers required to collect nearly 178,000 valid signatures by May for the question to proceed to a provincial vote.
Premier Danielle Smith has said she will not denounce those supporting separation, but has maintained her government’s focus is on securing a better relationship with Ottawa.
The issue has sparked political tension at the Alberta legislature, where opposition members have criticized the government’s handling of the movement and raised concerns about economic uncertainty.
Indigenous Relations Minister Rajan Sawhney said she hopes to meet with Pete to better understand the concerns raised about potential treaty violations, adding she does not agree with those allegations.
“I would like to hear from him directly to understand his perspective,” Sawhney told reporters in Edmonton.
The meeting with the King comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to visit the United Kingdom, where discussions with the monarch are anticipated to include a range of issues.
Under Canada’s Constitution, treaty rights are recognized and affirmed, and changes affecting those agreements would raise complex legal and constitutional questions.
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