TransCanada Pipelines received approval October 10, 2008 from Alberta Utilities Commission to build a pipeline through Lubicon territory without consent. The Alberta government has also approved over 2000 oil and gas wells within their ancestral lands without their consent or any benefit.

The Lubicon Cree of northern Alberta never surrendered rights to their lands, as they were overlooked during treaty negotiations in the 1880's. Amnesty International has now joined Lubicon to demand consultation and recognition of their land rights.

The United Nations has urged Canada to reach a settlement with the Lubicon and ensure they are consulted "before granting licences for economic exploration of the disputed land." The UN Human Rights Committed (UNHRC) concluded that development in their traditional territory is a violation to their fundamental human rights.