In general, there are two types of Aboriginal land claims that may direct oil and gas development in Canada: comprehensive claims and specific claims.  Comprehensive claims always involve land, but specific claims are not necessarily land-related.  These claims arise in areas of Canada where Aboriginal land rights have not been dealt with by past treaties or through other legal means.  Land and self-government negotiations in the NWT usually involve three groups: the Government of Canada, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and one or more Aboriginal groups. Each negotiation is unique and reflects the needs and processes of the parties at the negotiation table.

Three comprehensive land claims have been settled in the NWT:

• Inuvialuit Final Agreement (signed June 1984, effective July 1984)
• Gwich’in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement (signed April 1992, effective December 1992)
• Sahtu Dene and Métis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement (signed September 1993, effective June 1994)

One combined comprehensive land claim and self-government agreement has been completed:

• Tłįchǫ Land Claims and Self- Government Agreement with the four “Dogrib Treaty 11” communities (signed August 25 2003, effective August 2005)

Two Treaty Land Entitlement Processes (specific claim) have been completed:

• Salt River First Nation Treaty Settlement Agreement (June 2002)
• Hay River Reserve Establishment (1974)

One community-based self-government agreement has been completed:

• Déline Final Self-Government Agreement 

A number of other land, resource and self-government negotiations are still being negotiated:

• Akaitcho Treaty 8 Land, Resources, and Self-Government Negotiations 
• Inuvialuit Self-Government Negotiations 
• Gwich'in Self-Government Negotiations 
• Deh Cho Process (land, resources and governance negotiations) 
• Northwest Territory Métis Nation Process (land and resources negotiations, with selfgovernment negotiations as a second stage) 
• Tulita Yamoria Community Secretariat Self-Government Negotiations 
• Norman Wells Self-Government Negotiations 
• Fort Good Hope and Colville Lake's respective requests to begin negotiations have been made 

Please see the map of the Settlement Areas and Asserted Territories in the NWT