First Nations decry Fort Chipewyan poll changes

Chiefs and leaders in northern Alberta say polling stations in Fort Chipewyan were abruptly changed days before the Oct. 19 referendum, and they are calling it part of a pattern of neglect of Indigenous voters, according to a news release from Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation issued Oct. 16.

The release said both advance and voting-day stations in the remote community were changed, and that the problem extends beyond Fort Chipewyan. It described “an unacceptable pattern of neglect and underfunding of voting opportunities for Indigenous communities in Northern Alberta.” The release did not say where the stations were moved, how voters were told or how many communities are affected.

Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam, Mikisew Cree First Nation Chief Melody Lepine, Fort Chipewyan Métis President Ruby Ladouceur and Treaty 8 Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi were to speak at a virtual news conference at noon MDT on Friday.

Canada News Media has not seen a response from Elections Alberta to the specific claims about Fort Chipewyan, and the story is developing. The claims are the First Nations’ own account and have not been independently confirmed.

Updated Oct. 17, 2026.

Albertans vote Monday on 10 questions, including whether the province should begin a legal process toward a binding referendum on separation, according to APTN News. Advance polls ran from Oct. 13 to Oct. 17 at 310 locations, The Canadian Press reported in September, when Elections Alberta published about 1,400 polling station locations for the vote.

Access has been a concern for First Nations voters throughout the campaign. The Canadian Press reported on Oct. 4 that organizers were working through hurdles such as making sure voters have the required identification, getting them to polling stations and overcoming language barriers. Some groups are translating the questions for members whose first language is not English.

APTN reported on Oct. 14 that about 145,000 First Nations people are registered to vote in Alberta, according to Shelli Yellowbird, who is organizing in Maskwacis. That number matters because of how much First Nations leaders say is at stake. Angel Houle of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations said “silence could be consent in this referendum.”

The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation is also one of the parties challenging the referendum process in court. APTN reported that it and the Blackfoot Confederacy won judicial reviews in which the Court of King’s Bench quashed the separation petition and found Alberta breached its duty to consult. APTN also reported that the Alberta Court of Appeal ruled the province failed its duty to consult First Nations on the referendum. The Nations argue that any move toward secession without their consent violates the Treaties.

There was also a hiccup on the first days of advance voting. APTN reported that 17 of the 311 advance locations open on the Tuesday opened late, and that Elections Alberta blamed “various and separate technology issues” that have since been resolved. Those delays were unrelated to the Fort Chipewyan claims.

For readers outside Alberta, the dispute is a test of a basic question: whether a vote that First Nations say touches Treaty rights can be run in a way that lets their communities take part. Fort Chipewyan sits on Lake Athabasca in the province’s far northeast, and getting to a polling place there is not as simple as driving across town.

Voters who need to confirm where to vote can use the address lookup on the Elections Alberta website or the card mailed to their home. Our earlier guide to how and where to vote in the Alberta referendum explains the options, and our earlier report on the court rulings on treaty rights that shadow the vote sets out the legal background.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.

Via Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (CNW), APTN News and The Canadian Press. Original release.