YELLOWKNIFE - The year 2010 is when Dene Nation Chief Bill Erasmus said he wants to see all outstanding aboriginal land claims settled and self-government agreements implemented.

"The 37th Dene Nation Assembly's coming up, we've been at this for nearly four decades," said Erasmus. "Surely after forty years of talking we can build enough trust and understanding to accommodate us all."

Erasmus believed the will to achieve this existed in the Dene camp and, according to him, the GNWT is unopposed to the idea, but the task cannot be completed without cooperation from the federal government. Just last month Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Jim Prentice replaced the federal negotiator for the Akaitcho claim. While Prentice said he hoped a new negotiator would speed up the process, Yellowknives Dene Chief Peter Liske disagreed.

"Since 1994 we've had 11 (federal) negotiators," Liske said at a recent press conference, adding that each time a new negotiator comes to the table, "It's like starting from the beginning ... Ottawa needs to revamp all its policies and establish and independent commission to settle these (outstanding claims)."

Once a claim is settled, it takes years to implement the self-government component. The Tlicho Final Agreement - the new benchmark for aboriginal land claims - was finalized in 2005 but allows 10 years for full implementation.

For George Mackenzie, Tlicho Grand Chief, it has been an uphill battle to get the territorial government to recognize its responsibilities with respect to the Tlicho settlement.

"In two years, we've never agreed to anything (the GNWT has done) yet," said Mackenzie of what little the government has actually turned over to Tlicho control.

"One size fits all is not working for us... it needs to be adjusted to fit our needs. Can we run things? I think we can do a better job."

And when the GNWT does devolve service provision to aboriginal governments, Erasmus said the current system would have to change, as well.

"The territorial government can't become redundant, they are the central government," he said. "But it's got to change and there's different models (of representation) we need to talk about."