Tsuut’ina Nation provides clarity on comments made by man opposed to Ring Road construction

The Chief and Council of the Tsuut’ina Nation are providing some clarity around comments made by a man who claimed the construction of the southwest Calgary Ring Road made his family homeless and they were treated unfairly.

Seth Cardinal made headlines across Canada when he stepped up to the podium in Oct. 2020 claiming the Ring Road was built on his family’s land and he had to watch his home be destroyed every day.

He then would proceed to cut off his braids, saying “with this, I leave a piece of me with the road.”

https://twitter.com/Tommy_Slick/status/1311762466414632960

Cardinal made headlines again earlier this month when the southwest portion of the Calgary Ring Road officially opened.

After comments by Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver, Cardinal approached the podium and asked McIver to “step aside.”

“It is my Indigenous right to be here and speak,” he said.

Surrounded by three police officers, the 27-year-old spoke for five minutes. The audio of his comments were muted on the government’s livestream.

WATCH: Seth Cardinal expressed grievances with the opening of the South West Calgary Ring Road, which led to a back and forth with Mayor Naheed Nenshi. 

In a release sent on Tuesday, the Tsuut’ina Nation says while Cardinal has ties to the community, he is not a citizen of the Tsuut’ina Nation and that he is actually a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, northeast of Edmonton.

“Mr. Cardinal has also intimated that his family was treated unfairly and that family members were evicted and made homeless. This is simply untrue,” the First Nation explained.

“Each citizen of the Tsuut’ina Nation that was affected by the transfer of land was financially compensated. Where citizens had to be relocated, citizens were built new houses. ”

They say the decision to transfer land was not an easy option, but, like any matter involving land, the community was fully engaged and consulted.

“Tsuut’ina Nation citizens overwhelmingly approved the transfer in a referendum.”

Councillor Brent Dodginghorse with the Tsuut’ina Nation says they strongly disagree with Cardinal’s “radical protests” and he was not asked to use the Dodginghorse name that ties them to his tactics and media outbursts.

“We encourage him to find positive solutions to reconcile, and will continue to pray for him on his healing journey.”