[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” module_class=”fw_header” _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”March 18, 2026 statement ” module_class=”fw_header” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”–et_global_heading_font|600||on|||||” title_font_size=”46px” title_line_height=”0em” background_image=”https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pexels-lureofadventure-19013057.png” max_width=”100%” module_alignment=”left” min_height=”200px” max_height=”1000px” custom_margin=”12px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” custom_css_free_form=”.fw_header{|| || padding:125px 0 10px 0 !important;||}||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”32px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”10px||||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”Treaty Chiefs and Water Protectors Condemn the Government of Alberta\u2019s Calculated Water Transfer and Betrayal of Treaty Rights ” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_align=”left” animation_style=”none” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” title_line_height=”1.2em” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Roboto|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#124f77″ text_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”||50px||false|false” custom_padding=”||0px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
TREATY 6, 7, AND 8 TERRITORIES \/ EDMONTON, AB \u2014 March 18, 2026<\/strong> \u2014 <\/span>The Chiefs Steering Committee on Technical Services and Keepers of the Water stand in unified, absolute opposition to the Government of Alberta\u2019s Water Amendment Act (formerly Bill 7) which came into force on March 14, 2026. \u00a0The Act makes it easier for Alberta to authorize water transfers between major river basins and merges the Peace\/Slave and Athabasca river basins to lessen regulatory oversight and scrutiny.<\/p>\n This legislation\u2014passed without the free, prior, and informed consent of First Nations whose traditional territories it impacts\u2014poses incredible risks to the water we need to live. By merging the Peace\/Slave and Athabasca River basins into a single entity and enabling lower-risk inter-basin transfers by ministerial order, the province eased the exploitation of our collective waters at the height of a climate crisis. The Treaties guaranteed that our Nations would be able to continue our way of life, which is dependant upon the availability of clean and plentiful water.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Government of Alberta has chosen to ignore its legal and sacred obligations to the Treaty Nations,\u201d says Chief Rupert Meneen, Tallcree Tribal Government, Treaty 8 Territory. \u201cWithin a day of an Order in Council, Premier Smith\u2019s government has changed not one, but multiple, river systems and watersheds\u2014an act that can never be reversed and could damage our waters forever. They have acted with complete disregard to the long-term effects of their short-sighted decision.\u201d<\/p>\n The merger of the Peace-Slave and Athabasca basins creates one massive management area that contains 80% of the province\u2019s river flows by volume. This administrative simplification ignores the unique biological and chemical profiles of these distinct watersheds.<\/p>\n \u201cRivers do not follow political boundaries, and they cannot be merged on a spreadsheet without real consequences,\u201d says Jesse Cardinal, Executive Director of Keepers of the Water. \u201cMoving water between basins risks the spread of invasive species, alters water chemistry, and threatens the downstream well-being of dozens of First Nations, not only in the Alberta region but also in the Northwest Territories. This gift to the oil and gas lobby will be paid for by future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n A Call to Action<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The Chiefs Steering Committee and Keepers of the Water demand a pause on all applications for inter-basin water transfers or intra-basin water diversions within the amalgamated Peace\/Slave-Athabasca River Basin until meaningful Nation-to-Nation negotiations take place.<\/p>\n We\u00a0call for solidarity with all Albertans, municipalities, and downstream jurisdictions to stand with us and reach out to their elected leaders to consider the implications of inter-basin transfers on their grandchildren\u2014and align their perspective for the good of the Earth and all of her children.<\/p>\n \u201cContrary to what Premier Smith seem to believe, we are not masters of the environment; we must live in coexistence with it,\u201d says Chief Sheldon Sunshine, Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, Treaty 8. \u201cWe will take all necessary steps to protect our most sacred resources for all peoples. Every Albertan needs to wake up and take a stand against this government.\u201d<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" TREATY 6, 7, AND 8 TERRITORIES \/ EDMONTON, AB \u2014 March 18, 2026 \u2014 The Chiefs Steering Committee on Technical Services and Keepers of the Water stand in unified, absolute […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-25749","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25749"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25759,"href":"https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25749\/revisions\/25759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiefssteeringcommittee.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}