Tuesday, December 2, 2025
First Nations leaders in Alberta are voicing strong opposition to the provincial government’s proposed Water Amendment Act, saying the legislation threatens Treaty rights, water security and long-term environmental health across the province.
In a statement released Monday, the Chiefs Steering Committee on Technical Serivces (CSC), representing First Nations across Treaties 6, 7 and 8, said it rejects Bill 7 and urged Albertans to consider its potential impacts amid declining water levels and heightened pressures on watersheds.
Chief Rupert Meneen of the Tallcree Tribal Government, in Treaty 8 Territory, said the proposed changes to Alberta’s Water Act put economic interests ahead of Treaty obligations.
“Premier Smith and her government are intent on ignoring our rights, our Treaties in the Alberta region, for the sake of economic gain,” Meneen said. “Every Albertan should be concerned … because it threatens future water resources—something every single human, animal, plant and insect needs to live.”
The CSC says the bill would allow inter-basin water transfers that lack scientific justification and could destabilize ecosystems, particularly in the north. The group warned that moving water between river basins carries risks that “cannot be reversed” and comes at a time when stronger watershed protections are needed.
Chief Vernon Watchmaker of the Kehewin Cree Nation, Treaty 6 Territory, said the legislation disregards First Nations sovereignty and could place the burden of ecological harm on Indigenous communities.
“The Government of Alberta is stepping over First Nations’ sovereignty for short-sighted and incredibly risky moves to further the interests of industry,” said Watchmaker.
Chief Troy Knowlton of the Piikani Nation, Treaty 7 Territory, called on Albertans to voice their concerns, saying changes to water systems will have consequences “today and for generations to come.”
The CSC emphasized that water is a sacred resource and said decisions affecting rivers and watersheds will have lasting effects beyond political boundaries.
The Chiefs Steering Committee provides oversight to the First Nations Technical Services Advisory Group, a not-for-profit organization supporting First Nations in areas including water, infrastructure, housing and environmental services.
