By Somya Lohia, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Shootin’ the Breeze Piikani Nation is calling a recent Alberta Court of King’s Bench decision a “historic victory” for treaty rights. A May 13 ruling by Justice Shaina Leonard struck down the approval of a citizen-led petition that would have triggered a referendum on Alberta separating from Canada. Chief Troy Knowlton says the decision affirms that Treaty 7 is a “living, constitutionally protected agreement” that cannot be overridden by a citizen-led initiative or provincial referendum. Leonard’s decision quashed chief electoral officer Gordon McClure’s approval of the Referendum Relating to Alberta Independence petition, finding he made an error in law that rendered the approval unreasonable. The court also found the province failed in its duty to consult First Nations, including the Athabasca Chipewyan First…
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