Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Roughly around 80 tables will reach the three-year mark on October 16, 2011.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Each claim has a three-year timeframe, and as I indicated, as we move through the process each one is looked at within that three-year timeframe. In 2008 all the ones that were already in negotiation were deemed to start negotiations in 2008, and now all these claims are coming

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Most of our tables now in negotiation are in active discussion. We've accepted some recently where we're waiting for responses from the first nation.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  They don't tell us what their plans are. We're trying to reach a settlement. If they avail themselves of that offer....

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Absolutely.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We cannot refer any claim to the tribunal. It is always the first nation's choice to leave the specific claims process and go to the tribunal. They have four different areas where they can do that. Three years after their claim has been filed with the minister, if they haven't re

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We continue towards the settlement.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Well, it's not necessarily for as long as they see fit, though. We have to understand that the negotiations are being managed, and the reason why there was reform was that the first nations thought we were taking too long at the negotiating table to reach a settlement. This whole

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Some of them are difficult to negotiate. As well, a lot of it is getting the parties used to the idea of doing this in a more effective way: getting the mindset around that idea that we can achieve these settlements sooner rather than later and that we need to focus our efforts m

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Well, it's a joint effort, the negotiations. As I said, our focus is to work towards the settlement, and negotiation is always our preference. It's not to force the files over to the tribunal. That would totally go against what we were trying to achieve. We would end up causing y

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  There have been five to date.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Right.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Of course they can.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Well, in the course of the negotiations, once we've established that we have an understanding of what the claim looks like and how we're going to be compensating, and once we put a value to what the claim is, we come in to get a mandate to settle these claims. Then, once an offe