Banner message along Edmonton area highway racist according to First Nations

The photo of a banner hung from a barbed wire fence along highway 779 northwest of Edmonton went viral after it was posted online over the Heritage Day long weekend. “The Indians have done nothing in 100 years and now they wanna tell us how to run Alberta,” the banner said. It alarmed Kara Burnstick from Alexander First Nation enough that she stopped to take a picture of it. She told APTN News that it feels like attitudes toward First Nations people are getting worse. “A hundred percent. I think that you can definitely sense it, and you can definitely feel it. Just when I’m out, doing grocery shopping or getting gas or something. It’s very unsettling,” said Burnstick said on her social media post. While Burnstick doesn’t know when the banner was placed on the fence, the date of her photo coincided with an “Alberta Independence Walk” and rally by the group Cruise to Alberta Independence in Spruce Grove, south of where the banner was reportedly located. The group has promoted a series of rallies in support of the province separating across Alberta in recent months, ahead of the Oct. 19 referendum. APTN reached out to the group for comment. In an email, “Al Bertan” with the group said they were unaware of the banner. “This is not our approach, so it is definitely not something we would do. But if by chance someone within our community is responsible for [it] I will find out,” they said. The City of Spruce Grove and Sturgeon County were both unaware of the banner. Burnstick, a member of Alexander First Nation said the banner made her do a double take. “I feel very unsafe, and I do feel threatened because this is a neighboring community that’s just outside of our reserve,” Burnstick said. “And, you know, it makes me worrisome for our families and our children and it’s just it’s scary because if they can put the sign up, what else are they capable of?” She said the photo has been shared by thousands of people since she posted it on Saturday. Chris Saulteaux from Paul First Nation said he was so disgusted, he drove to the site and tore the banner down. “When I first saw it, I thought it was probably AI, and then I [saw] it going around more and more on Facebook. And so I don’t know. I just I decided that I was going to go see from my very own eyes that this actually was up and it existed,” Chris Saulteaux said, noting he’s not worried about potential fallout from his actions. Comments on the original photo condemn the use of the banner. “Danielle Smith states that the law will be enforced if First Nations engage in civil disobedience. Yet, the public display of these signs causes severe social, cultural, and safety issues. This is systemic racism and anti-Indigenous racism. It is a public display of hatred and violence driven by entitled separatists,” said Erica Johnson on Facebook. StopHateAB said it’s not only First Nations being impacted by acts such as this. “Sadly, as the referendum in Alberta is approaching anti-Indigenous and hate towards racialized/newcomer communities has been rising in a more public and harmful way, which has been reflected on our online community reporting tool. The political climate has become increasingly volatile and Indigenous communities have been targeted among racialized/newcomer groups in an open and public fashion,” said executive director Nina Saini. “Hateful rhetoric is being encouraged through these despicable public displays and the consequence of political disagreement through this referendum has trickled in to the promotion and emboldened actions promoting racism and discrimination across Alberta. There is no justification for this and the harm being directed towards Indigenous communities, as they stand in unity to remain a united Canada, this type of targeted hate is not acceptable and deeply concerning,” Saini said, adding that StopHateAB “stands in solidarity with the Indigenous peoples and their treaty rights being honored.” The Spruce Grove gathering was part of localized summer rallies—including recent demonstrations in Taber and bridge rallies over Edmonton’s Whitemud Drive. These demonstrations follow a successful citizen initiative petition organized by groups like Stay Free Alberta, which triggered the official fall referendum. The question dealing with separation asks “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”Electors may then choose from two options-option 1: Alberta should remain a province of Canada, or option 2 which authorizes the government of Alberta to “commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada. First Nations leaders have been vocal in opposing separation since the Alberta government first moved to amend its Referendum Act to make it easier for a citizen-led petition to make it on a referendum ballot. The change on Dec. 11, 2025 has been viewed as a threat to Treaty rights, including jurisdiction over mineral rights, should the referendum result in a mandate to begin the separation process. APTN reached out to Premier Smith’s office, however, it was the press secretary to Alberta’s Associate Minister of Multiculturalism who responded. “Alberta’s government stands firmly against racism and continues working to build a province where everyone is respected—no matter their cultural background or where they come from. Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected in their communities…,” the statement from Braedyn Funke said in part. However, Deputy Premier Mike Ellis posted a comment on X earlier Tuesday about the right to free speech. We are committed to supporting and respecting everyone’s right to free speech. We have duty to uphold these rights and freedoms, regardless of an individual’s religious or political beliefs. Alberta’s government does not condone hate speech or violence, but we believe law… — Mike Ellis (@MikeEllisUCP) August 4, 2026 “We are committed to supporting and respecting everyone’s right to free speech,” he wrote. “… but we believe law enforcement should be focused on stopping violent crime, not policing opinions or “hurt feelings,” Ellis’s post said. It’s not clear what Ellis was writing about,  but some comments below were about the banner. “So being a racist is free speech now?” one commenter said. “You know “hurt feelings” isn’t the issue,” another said. “That’s a disingenuous talking point. Freedom of expression has legal limits, and enforcing them doesn’t prevent police from tackling violent crime. We can do both. Do better,@MikeEllisUCP—if that’s even possible.” Saulteaux said Ellis’s post makes him feel like First Nations don’t matter and racism gets “brushed under the under the rug.” Burnstick feels that whoever is responsible for putting up the banner should be held accountable. “If a statement crosses the line into promoting hatred against a protected group, I believe it should be investigated and, where the law applies, prosecuted,” Burnstick said. “We have laws that are meant to protect people from hate speech, and those laws should be applied fairly.” APTN has reached out to Alberta RCMP for comment. Continue Reading