Piikani Chief to Smith: If You Don’t Like Alberta, Leave

Chief Troy Knowlton of the Piikani First Nation isn’t dancing around his words when it comes to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s inflammatory push for separation and her latest political maneuvering through Bill 54. His message is clear, sharp, and unapologetic: if the Premier can’t stand the way Alberta operates within Canada, she’s welcome to leave—but she won’t drag First Nations people down with her.

Bill 54, introduced by Smith’s government, proposes sweeping changes to the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act. It’s being framed by the United Conservative Party as a way to “protect Alberta’s interests,” but the legislation reads more like a dangerous overreach designed to consolidate provincial power, edge out federal oversight, and bulldoze past Indigenous jurisdiction. And Chief Knowlton isn’t having it.

This isn’t just about politics—it’s about erasure. Once again, First Nations communities are being treated as invisible stakeholders on lands they’ve stewarded since time immemorial. Smith’s talk of separation conveniently bypasses the fact that Alberta exists entirely on treaty land, and yet those bound by the treaties—the original stewards of this territory—have been ignored, sidelined, and disrespected in the conversations shaping the province’s future.

Chief Knowlton rightly called out this hypocrisy, reminding everyone that any conversation about Alberta’s constitutional status cannot and should not happen without Indigenous consent and leadership. He speaks not only for the Piikani Nation, but for Indigenous peoples across Canada who are tired of being excluded, exploited, and spoken over in decisions made about their land. History has shown that whenever there’s political turmoil or dreams of sovereignty, Indigenous people are either the last to be consulted or never included at all.

The Premier’s flirtation with separatism is not only short-sighted but reckless. While it’s true Alberta has grievances with the federal government—and many of them are legitimate—separation is not a solution, it’s a scorched-earth policy. And it certainly isn’t a justification to ignore Indigenous rights or bulldoze over their title and treaty claims with empty sovereignty slogans.

Let’s not sugarcoat it: the last ten years in Ottawa have been a mess. Federal mismanagement, broken promises, and bureaucratic dysfunction have left provinces frustrated. But the answer isn’t to fracture the nation or to push toxic legislation that threatens unity while trampling over the people who never ceded the land in the first place.

Chief Knowlton’s words are a wake-up call. Indigenous nations are united in their stance: this land is not up for grabs, and their voice will not be silenced by political theatrics. Premier Smith can huff and puff about separation all she wants, but she cannot rewrite the foundational truth that Canada—whether whole or in pieces—rests on Indigenous lands, and any future must be built in full partnership with those nations.

If Danielle Smith truly believes in democracy, fairness, and freedom, then she needs to start by respecting Indigenous sovereignty—not trying to circumvent it. And if that’s too much for her to handle, then as Chief Knowlton said, maybe it’s time she took her rhetoric elsewhere. Canada doesn’t need more division; it needs leaders who can finally face the truth and build a country that includes everyone, not just those with a seat in the legislature.