Chief Alfred Joseph was the lead plaintiff in the 1984 landmark court case Delgamuukw-Gisday'wa v. British Columbia, which challenged the provincial government to recognize the unceded Wet'suwit'en and Gitxsan title to their traditional lands. The case formally began in 1987 and was one of the longest Aboriginal trials in Canadian history. The trial judge dismissed the case in 1991, however the Supreme Court of Canada overturned the dismissal in 1997. The Delgamuukw-Gisday'wa case significantly altered Aboriginal policy in Canada and contributed to the development of contemporary treaty negotiations in Canada.