Premier Jason Kenney and the Chiefs of the Blackfoot Confederacy. (Supplied by Government of Alberta)

By David Opinko

Blackfoot Nation renews agreement with Alberta Government

Sep 23, 2019 | 4:19 PM

STANDOFF, AB – The Government of Alberta has committed to continuing to work alongside the Blackfoot Nation.

The deal, signed Monday in Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park, includes three First Nations in Southern Alberta: the Blood Tribe (aka Kainai First Nation), Piikani Nation, and Siksika Nation.

Between these communities, more than 22,000 people are represented.

This marks the renewal of the Alberta-Blackfoot Confederacy Protocol Agreement, which was first signed in 2017.

It sets out the ways in which the Blackfoot Confederacy Chiefs and the province will work together on topics like education, the environment, lands, healthcare, economic development, and political or legal matters.

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“Our government is focused on building a true partnership with Indigenous Peoples through shared prosperity,” says Premier Jason Kenney. “This agreement will formalize how we build success together. I look forward to meeting with the chiefs each year to discuss our progress.”

Minister of Indigenous Relations Rick Wilson weighed in on the historic signing.

“This protocol agreement is a broad umbrella under which we can have meaningful discussions, share information and explore issues of mutual concern. Good things can happen when we work together.”

To help implement the agreement’s terms, the provincial government is providing a one-time grant of $200,000 to the Blackfoot Confederacy.

Full details of the Alberta-Blackfoot Confederacy Protocol Agreement can be read here.