To stoke is to poke a fire and fuel it so that it burns higher. Stoke also means “incite” —as to stoke the flames of secessionist anger.

Premier Smith & Manning seen with friends at a gathering.

Premier Smith making a point with PM Carney

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Reform Party founder Preston Manning have both engaged with the topic of Alberta’s potential separation from Canada, albeit from different perspectives with varying emphases : equally fanning the flames of secessionist division and complaint.

Danielle Smith ‘attempting to manufacture a national unity crisis’ with referendum changes, First Nations say

Click link for article

https://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/first-nations-criticize-danielle-smith-separatism-bill-54

Preston Manning & Premier Smith having tea.

Premier Smith with prairie dog

The chiefs warned Premier Smith with a Cease & Desist- Separatist Threats letter that Alberta, as a province, was preceded by treaties that Indigenous communities signed with the Crown.

“The province has no authority to supersede or interfere with our Treaties, even indirectly by passing the buck to a ‘citizen’ referendum,” the letter said. “If you or any Canadians are not happy living on Treaty lands, they are free to apply for citizenship elsewhere.”

This map delineates the areas covered by the Numbered Treaties within Alberta:

• Treaty 6 (1876): Central Alberta, encompassing the Edmonton area and extending into Saskatchewan.
• Treaty 7 (1877): Southern Alberta, including Calgary and surrounding regions.
• Treaty 8 (1899): Northern Alberta, covering a vast area extending into parts of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories.

These treaties were agreements between First Nations and the Crown, outlining the terms for land use, resource sharing, and coexistence. They continue to hold significance today, both legally and culturally.