Beaver Lake Cree Nation (BLCN) first went to court against the provincial and Canadian governments in 2008 alleging breach of treaty rights. The Canadian and Alberta governments joined forces to get the lawsuit dismissed, but lost a year ago when the Alberta Court of the Queen's Bench upheld the lawsuit despite the provincial and federal governments' attempts to throw it out, on grounds that it was frivolous.

The Alberta Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by the Crown in Right of Alberta ("Alberta") and the Attorney General of Canada ("Canada") by choosing to strike portions of the Statement of Claim of the Beaver Lake Cree Nation ("BLCN").

By affirming the lower court's decision, the Court of Appeal allowed the BLCN's claim for damages for treaty infringement to proceed.

The basis for the BLCN's claim is that the cumulative impacts of past Crown authorizations for resource development in their traditional territory unjustifiably infringes their rights to hunt, trap, and fish under Treaty 6.

Woodward and Company a Victoria B.C. firm represents BLCN.