What the data says about Indigenous voting in Alberta’s referendum

Joy SpearChief-Morris Yang SunData editor Published November 7, 2026Updated 4 hours ago Open this photo in gallery: Ballot boxes are seen in a voting station in Calgary during the Alberta referendum, Oct. 19. Ahmed Zakot/Reuters Comments Save for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story. Log InCreate an account Indigenous people in Alberta turned out in massive numbers in last month’s provincial referendum, voted overwhelmingly in favour of remaining a part of Canada and fiercely rejected the other nine questions on immigration and constitutional issues, according to a Globe and Mail analysis. The Globe looked at 61 polling stations located on First Nations reserves and Métis settlements from the Oct. 19 vote and found that Indigenous voters cast ballots nearly four times more than were cast in the same voting areas in the 2023 Alberta provincial election. Some nations saw a voter increase of 500 per cent to more than 1,200 per cent. Nearly 95 per cent of Indigenous people voted to remain in Canada, about 20 percentage points higher than for the rest of Alberta. “[The province] underestimated what the response was going to be from our communities, and it showed at the polls,” said Kainai Nation Chief Travis Plaited Hair. “They had something to say, and they said it loud and clear that they were not in favour.” The Globe’s analysis does not take into account Indigenous people who voted at stations off reserves, nor any advance polling or mail-in voting for both 2023 and the referendum. Months before voters went to the polls, First Nations in Alberta challenged the legality of provincial separation in court, arguing that it would violate treaties with the Crown and breach the government’s duty to consult Indigenous peoples on matters affecting their rights. Two Alberta judges ruled that First Nations must be considered in the decision to call a referendum on provincial independence. In a December decision, Court of King’s Bench Justice Colin Feasby ruled that “First Nations, as founding partners in the creation of Alberta, cannot be ignored or bypassed as Alberta contemplates its future whether that is as part of Canada or not.” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith appealed a May court ruling that also went against her government. Days later, she called the referendum, wording the independence question in a way that sidestepped the court ruling. Albertans were asked whether the province should remain a part of Canada or begin the process for a binding referendum on independence.