By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News Saddle Lake Cree Nation is asserting its Treaty 6 and inherent jurisdiction over health care by establishing a safe haven for gender-affirming care on its reserve lands and territories – a move Dr. James Makokis says could have implications far beyond transgender health. The announcement came in response to Alberta legislation restricting gender-affirming medical care for transgender and gender-diverse youth. The initiative was announced on Sept. 9, 2026, exactly 150 years after Treaty 6 was agreed to at Fort Pitt. For Makokis, a family physician and member of Saddle Lake Cree Nation, the timing was significant. “We knew immediately when these laws were announced in February of 2024 that they were a violation of not only our peace and friendship…
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