{"id":108611,"date":"2026-09-10T08:34:40","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T12:34:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theturtleislandnews.com\/?p=108611"},"modified":"2026-09-10T08:34:40","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T12:34:40","slug":"alberta-first-nation-wants-to-set-up-safe-haven-for-gender-affirming-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theturtleislandnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/10\/alberta-first-nation-wants-to-set-up-safe-haven-for-gender-affirming-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Alberta First Nation wants to set up safe haven for gender-affirming care"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Lisa Johnson An Alberta First Nation says it aims to defy Premier Danielle Smith\u2019s government by establishing a safe haven for gender-affirming medical care \u2014 contrary to provincial law. Saddle Lake Cree Nation says health care is a treaty right and falls under its inherent jurisdiction. Late last year, Smith\u2019s United Conservative Party government used the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to shield its law from court challenges. The law prohibits doctors from prescribing puberty blockers or hormone therapy to transgender and gender diverse children under 16. The premier has said it’s about protecting children and their fertility. Saddle Lake Chief Dale Steinhauer says they won\u2019t stand by while basic human rights and life-saving health services are denied. The nation says it\u2019s working to attract clinicians to provide care on reserve… <\/p>\n

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By Lisa Johnson An Alberta First Nation says it aims to defy Premier Danielle Smith\u2019s government by establishing a safe haven for gender-affirming medical care \u2014 contrary to provincial law. Saddle Lake Cree Nation says health care is a treaty right and falls under its inherent jurisdiction. Late last year, Smith\u2019s United Conservative Party government used the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to shield its law from court challenges. The law prohibits doctors from prescribing puberty blockers or hormone therapy to transgender and gender diverse children under 16. The premier has said it’s about protecting children and their fertility. Saddle Lake Chief Dale Steinhauer says they won\u2019t stand by while basic human rights and life-saving health services are denied. The nation says it\u2019s working to attract clinicians to provide care on reserve... <\/p>\n

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Log in here<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":101363,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-national-news","category-ticker","pmpro-level-required","pmpro-level-3","pmpro-level-2","pmpro-level-5","pmpro-level-4","pmpro-level-6","pmpro-level-7","pmpro-level-8","pmpro-no-access"],"yoast_head":"\nAlberta First Nation wants to set up safe haven for gender-affirming care - The Turtle Island News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theturtleislandnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/10\/alberta-first-nation-wants-to-set-up-safe-haven-for-gender-affirming-care\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Alberta First Nation wants to set up safe haven for gender-affirming care - The Turtle Island News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Lisa Johnson An Alberta First Nation says it aims to defy Premier Danielle Smith\u2019s government by establishing a safe haven for gender-affirming medical care \u2014 contrary to provincial law. Saddle Lake Cree Nation says health care is a treaty right and falls under its inherent jurisdiction. Late last year, Smith\u2019s United Conservative Party government used the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to shield its law from court challenges. The law prohibits doctors from prescribing puberty blockers or hormone therapy to transgender and gender diverse children under 16. The premier has said it’s about protecting children and their fertility. Saddle Lake Chief Dale Steinhauer says they won\u2019t stand by while basic human rights and life-saving health services are denied. 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