NWT Mtis Nation has spent $30M and counting negotiating its land claim

The NWT Mtis Nation has borrowed about $30 million over the past 20 years in order to negotiatea land claim with the federal and territorial governments. Itblames a flawed process for the high cost and long delay.

The moneywill be repaid to Ottawa once the land claim is settled.

The NWT Mtis Nation expects to receive about $71 million from the federal government in the settlement.

Ken Hudson, president of the Fort Smith Mtis Council an NWT MtisNation member says Ottawa's approach to negotiations limited meetings to two or three times a month. He said that slowed progress.

"How can you accomplish something working only 25 days out of the year?" Hudson asked.

"That design was a federal design ofhow to settle claims," he said."I think it's made that way so the government could still continue on taking from the land, with all the resources, and not sharing them with Aboriginal groups."

While skeptical of the intentions of previous governments, Hudson is hopeful a new approach is on the horizon.

• Feds, N.W.T. appoint special reps for Akaitcho, Dehcho negotiations

On Friday, the NWT Mtis Nation received a report on the state of negotiations from a special representative for the minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs. The report is not a public document, but Hudson shared the highlights.

"The report suggests 18 to 24 months to complete the claim if you change the way you are doing business," Hudson said. "The report suggests that we have got to sit down with both governments and create a different path to achieve these goals."

Hudson saidOttawa appearsmore open to that change than the territorial government.

He saidthe NWT Mtis Nation suggested taking on the roleof writing the self-governance chapters in their claim, but territorial negotiators spoke against the idea.

"They must just like this slow grinding process, I guess," Hudson said.

The NWT Mtis Nation will discuss the findings of the report with the N.W.T. premier and minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs in Ottawa on April 5.