The Province of Alberta is entirely covered by treaties.  Treaties 6, 7, and 8 cover the majority of the province, with small portions of Treaties 4 and 10 lying in eastern Alberta, though no Alberta Indian Reserves are located within these treaty areas.

The treaties promised a wide range of provisions to the First Nations in exchange for surrender of Aboriginal title to the land.  Though each treaty is slightly different, they generally outlined a specific amount of reserve land for each band member, annual payments, agricultural tools, ammunition and twine as well as other items.  Some of these promises were not fulfilled and the land claim process is a method to address these situations.

Energy is primarily involved in treaty land entitlement claims, which are land claims where bands have not received all of their reserve lands under treaty. Treaty land entitlement claims are filed with the federal government but both the provincial and federal governments participate in the negotiations, as they are a land related issue.

Up until 1930, the federal government was the owner and steward of Crown land and natural resources.  The Natural Resources Act 1930 (NRTA) transferred that ownership and control of Crown lands to Alberta.  Under Section 10 of the Act, Alberta has a responsibility to transfer unoccupied lands and minerals back to the federal government so Canada can fulfill its treaty obligations to First Nations.