Smith won't intervene as Saddle Lake Cree Nation offers trans care safe haven
Saddle Lake Cree Nation says it will provide gender-affirming care on its own land as a treaty right, citing the Treaty 6 medicine chest clause signed 150 years ago.
Why it matters
The standoff tests how far Alberta's authority over gender-affirming care extends onto First Nations land governed by treaty rights.
Premier Danielle Smith said Thursday she has no authority over Saddle Lake Cree Nation after the First Nation announced plans to offer gender-affirming medical care that Alberta law bars for those under 16. "I don't have any authority over the First Nation," Smith told reporters in Edmonton. "I respect their sovereignty."
Chief Dale Steinhauer said the province's law is dehumanizing to transgender, gender diverse and two-spirit people, and that access to health care is a treaty right protected by the medicine chest clause of Treaty 6. The nation, northeast of Edmonton, is seeking clinicians to provide care on its land and is drafting a health law that would shield those clinicians from sanctions by provincial regulators. An online fundraiser toward a $60,000 goal for legal defence was more than halfway funded within a day of launching.
Alberta's law prohibits doctors from prescribing puberty blockers or hormone therapy to trans and gender diverse children under 16, and the UCP government has used the notwithstanding clause to protect it from court challenges. Smith said the law is meant to protect children's fertility while preserving choice.
Asked about the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta's regulatory role on the reserve, Smith said she was unsure, adding that the First Nation has sovereignty. Her spokesperson said health care on First Nations land falls under federal jurisdiction, making it a matter for Saddle Lake and Ottawa. The college said it would review any complaint filed but would not speculate on hypothetical scenarios.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.