September 1, 2026· Calgary Herald
Indigenous Lawyer Leighton Grey Draws Applause at Edmonton Independence Rally
Nakoda lawyer Leighton Grey told a rally outside the Alberta Legislature that independence is "a conservation movement" and challenged the treaty chiefs fighting it in court.
Indigenous lawyer Leighton Grey, a member of Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation, drew applause at a pro-independence rally outside the Alberta Legislature on Saturday. Grey argued that the existing relationship between First Nations and Ottawa — rooted in the Indian Act — has failed Indigenous people, and directly challenged the Treaty 6, 7 and 8 chiefs who are opposing Alberta independence in court.
He framed the cause as "a conservation movement" to preserve Alberta, and said a free and prosperous new province would need to unify Indigenous peoples and bring them into the community rather than leave them as outsiders. The rally fell on the same weekend as Alberta Day events at the Legislature and in Calgary, roughly seven weeks before the October 19 referendum.