Treaty 8 First Nations call for 2% resource revenues from projects on their land

Treaty 8 First Nations chiefs in Alberta are calling for a two-per-cent share of royalties from projects that develop resources from their land.

The chiefs met with Premier Danielle Smith in Calgary on Thursday to raise various concerns, including revenue sharing. Trevor Mercredi, grand Chief of the Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta, said the meeting was urgently needed due to speed with which legislation is moving that could lead to major projects affecting Treaty 8 communities.

"There has to be some sort of a relationship developed between Alberta and the nations, so we can move forward with some of these projects in a good way for our people," said Mercredi.

"We're not looking for a handout, we're not looking for the province to come take care of our people, we don't need the province to take care of our people. We need our own people to serve and take care of our people"

The meeting came on the same day that Bill C-5, Prime Minister Mark Carney's 'nation-building' projects bill, was passed by the Senate unamended. The legislation allows the prime minister's cabinet to streamline approvals for some projects that have the potential to boost the Canadian economy.

But the bill has received criticism from some, including Mercredi, for the possibility it could lead to insufficient consultation with Indigenous peoples.

Mercredi said resource revenue sharing is how his community can better support itself through funding education and health services, especially due to how profitable drawing resources from within Treaty 8 land, in northern Alberta, has been for the province.

"You hear Premier Smith and all of the others talk about the millions and billions and trillions coming out of Alberta. That's from our backyards," Mercredi said.

"Every day, we have industry and the province coming into our nations with hat in hand, looking for projects. It's not the other way around."

Smith said the provincial government is looking for ways to ensure all First Nations in Alberta receive revenue from natural resources within the province. But instead of royalties, Smith said she believes this should be accomplished through equity.

She pointed to the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation as an example. It's set up to facilitate investment by Indigenous groups in natural resource, agriculture, telecommunication and transportation projects.

"Those are the kinds of things that will deliver the long-term revenue streams that I think that they're looking for," Smith said. 

"We share the aspiration, we just have a different way of supporting it."

A seat at the table on emergency management

Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta rejected Alberta's attempts to "assert jurisdiction through legislation like the Sovereignty Act," according to a statement the organization issued Thursday. It called for a formal recognition of Treaty 8 governance as a government-to-Nation partner.

Thursday's meeting also saw First Nations chiefs raise emergency management as an issue to the province, Mercredi said. He specifically pointed to a need to reinforce fire-suppression services, as Alberta contends with destructive wildfire seasons each summer.

More broadly, Mercredi said the group wants more input with the province about responding to crises, to find long-term solutions to problems First Nations groups in Alberta face each year.

"It's a new world we live in. Alberta's on fire, and Alberta's been on fire for the last five or six years," he said.

"Our people are really traumatized, our people are being removed, our nations are always looking at the smoke, the lightning. It's very concerning and Alberta has to pick up on their services when it comes to fire."

He added that he believes Smith was receptive to the issues his group raised Thursday, but for too long, First Nations groups haven't had a sufficient seat at the table in these negotiations.

Smith will meet with the group again in August in Treaty 8 territory.