land claim disagreement between the gitxsan and nisga'a led to the gitxsan and their neighbors, the wet'suwet'en, to take the issue of territorial ownership to court in the case of "delgamuukw v british columbia". this case began in 1984 and continued until 1997. although the supreme court of canada declined to make any definitive statement on aboriginal title a vast amount of research was conducted and documented and it was ruled that oral histories were just as important as written testimony. the case also played an important role in the nisga'a treaty, which came into effect on may 11, 2000, and affirmed nisga'a ownership of lands focused along the lower nass river.