TREATY 8 FIRST NATIONS OF ALBERTA AND DENE NATION UNITE TO DEFEND SHARED WATERS

Woodland Cree First Nation, Treaty No. 8 Territory — Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta and the Dene Nation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), establishing a formal partnership to uphold Treaty rights and interests to protect, preserve, and steward the waters that connect both Territories.

Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta has voted unanimously to henceforth be known as Treaty 8 Sovereign Nations, which the organization attributes directly to the “unprecedented political climate being fostered by the current Alberta government.”

The agreement brings the Dene Nation and Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta together to recognize water as a living and spiritual relative with Inherent rights to health and affirms our shared responsibility to care for water in accordance with ancestral laws, Inherent and Treaty rights, and Indigenous jurisdiction.

“Our waters are sacred with a living memory that is central to the wellness of our people and cultures. This partnership reaffirms our shared responsibility to protect our waters, guided by ancestral laws, Treaty rights, and Indigenous Knowledge,” said Dene National Chief George Mackenzie in a press release.

 “Together, the Dene Nation and Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta stand united to ensure the health of our waters for future generations and to hold governments and industries accountable for their actions.”

Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta and the Dene Nation have committed to coordinated action in several priority areas, including:

• Establishing Indigenous-led monitoring, stewardship, and guardianship throughout the Mackenzie River Basin, supported by shared environmental databases;
• Expanding the role of Indigenous Knowledge, ancestral law, and Indigenous jurisdiction in water-related legislation, policies, regulations, research, and transboundary governance;
• Ensuring accountability from governments and tar sands industries for tailings pond management, monitoring, spills, and leaks;
• Calling for independent assessments of the structural integrity of tar sands tailings ponds and the downstream effects of tar sands pollution on water, aquatic ecosystems, and human health;
• Seeking reform of Alberta’s Mine Financial Security Program to ensure industry pays the full costs of reclaiming and remediating tar sands tailings ponds;
• Supporting Indigenous-led research into climate change, drought, microplastics, industrial contamination, and cumulative impacts; and
• Examining the effects on water, ecosystems, wildlife, and human health of lithium development, hydroelectric dams, and proposed nuclear reactors along the Peace River.

“Water does not recognize provincial or territorial boundaries, and the effects of decisions made upstream are felt by First Nations peoples from the heart of Treaty 8 Territory to the Arctic Coast,” said Treaty 8 Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi. “Our partnership with the Dene Nation strengthens our collective voice and our shared responsibility to defend the lands and waters that sustain our people.”

The partnership is grounded in the recognition and affirmation of Indigenous and Treaty rights under section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, as well as all 46 Articles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The MOU upholds Articles 5, 19, 25 and 32 of UNDRIP, including the rights of Indigenous Peoples to maintain their institutions and spiritual relationships with their lands and waters, determine priorities for their territories and resources, and provide their free, prior, and informed consent on decisions that may affect them.

Treaty peoples must be recognized as full decision-making partners in a modernized Mackenzie River Basin Transboundary Waters Master Agreement. We seek action on major environmental concerns, including industrial pollution, tailings pond and wastewater spills, and proposed changes to Alberta’s Water Act that could enable inter-basin transfers. The Dene Nation and Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta maintain that these changes must not proceed without meaningful engagement and the free, prior, and informed consent of affected Indigenous communities, in accordance with UNDRIP.

Healthy water is fundamental to the exercise of Treaty rights, including the rights to hunt, fish, trap, gather, and harvest throughout our Territories. Water stewardship must respect Indigenous Knowledge, Inherent and Treaty rights, and the jurisdiction of all impacted First Nations.

The Dene Nation and Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta will maintain ongoing communication, evaluate our progress, and identify additional opportunities for cooperation that benefit all Treaty peoples. This MOU will be reviewed annually to ensure its continued effectiveness.

Signed,

Digitally Signed July 29, 2026

George Mackenzie

Dene National Chief, Regional Chief AFN-NT Region

Digitally Signed July 29, 2026

Trevor Mercredi

Grand Chief, Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta