Yellowknife (Mar 05/03) - The Tlicho have taken another major step toward finalizing their treaty agreement.

Chief negotiator John B. Zoe and Grand Chief Joe Rabesca signed the finalized version of the document in with dozens of Tlicho (formerly known as the Dogrib) witnesses last Friday at the treaty office in Yellowknife.

"It's not floating anymore," said Zoe. "Now we know exactly what the agreement will look like."

"It's out of our hands."

The document, which has been 11 years in the making, was also signed by several Tlicho elders who acted as official witnesses to the signing.

The Tlicho plan is to invite the Prime Minister to the final signing of the deal, which is scheduled for Aug. 22. Friday's signatures finalize the content of the agreement for the Tlicho negotiators. The agreement will now go to the federal government, the territorial government and the Tlicho people for ratification.

The document was signed by the federal government last week and will be signed by the territorial government this week.

Zoe said he expects the document to be ratified by the Tlicho sometime this spring. If ratified by all parties, the Tlicho agreement will become a land claims agreement for the Tlicho First Nation. The agreement also includes provisions for self-government.