Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she stepped in to fix a “glitch” that saw Indigenous Peoples erased from her official statement marking the province’s 121st birthday.
Within an hour of sending the Alberta Day statement on Tuesday, the government sent an updated version removing the sentence including Indigenous Peoples from its English version.
Smith said public servants made the move and that she urged them to revert to the original statement.
“I said, ‘why don’t you just put up the original one? I thought it was fine, and so I’m not exactly sure what happened with that glitch,” she told reporters in Calgary at an unrelated announcement.
“We’re just excited to be able to celebrate Alberta Day and all of the various cultures, and diaspora communities, including Indigenous Peoples, who have helped to build the province,” she said.
“We want to celebrate everyone.”
Nevertheless, the change had already drawn concern from critics amid tense relations between Smith’s United Conservative Party government and Indigenous communities before the upcoming referendum on Alberta separation.
The vote on Oct. 19 is to ask Albertans whether they want to remain a part of Canada or begin the process to hold a second, binding referendum on separating from the country.
Treaty 8 Sovereign First Nations Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi called the removal of Indigenous Peoples from Smith’s statement deeply troubling.
“Our Nations are not a footnote to Alberta’s story,” he said in a news release.
He added it’s especially concerning as Smith’s government is advancing separation-related initiatives and challenging the constitutional status of treaty rights and the duty to consult.
“At a time when First Nations people are facing increased hostility for standing up for Treaty, the government should be affirming our place and history prior to Alberta’s story, not deleting it,” said Mercredi.
Yonathan Sumamo, spokesperson for government communications and public engagement, said in an email that Smith’s second statement was issued by mistake and that her first statement, including the government’s recognition of Indigenous Peoples, stands.
“We apologize for this error and any confusion that it may have caused.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, Smith’s statement, published on social media, did not recognize Indigenous Peoples. The government’s website was updated with her initial statement including Indigenous Peoples.
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