Overview
- The premier’s office issued an Alberta Day statement at 10 a.m. on Tuesday that explicitly recognized Indigenous Peoples, then sent an edited version within an hour that removed that recognition.
- The government apologized, said the edited statement was issued in error, confirmed the original 10 a.m. text stands, and said Premier Danielle Smith directed staff to revert the message.
- The revised version that omitted Indigenous reference remains visible on some of the premier’s social-media accounts even after the correction on the government website.
- First Nations leaders condemned the deletion as harmful to treaty relations and the Opposition NDP questioned who controls the premier’s social accounts and whether staff are shifting blame.
- Recognition of Indigenous Peoples carries strong symbolic weight in Alberta and this misstep could deepen mistrust, increase scrutiny of government communications, and affect the public debate over treaty rights and the October referendum.