Lubicon talks continue

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Meetings continued through March 10 with published reports predicting an agreement is imminent in the more than 60-year-old Lubicon Lake Nation fight for a home territory.

In 1899, when Treaty 8 was being finalized, government officials missed the Lubicon people who live in a remote area of north central Alberta. In 1939, the federal government recognized the Lubicon as a separate band, but no treaty was made.

Since then, the Lubicon's fight for recognition has been the object of world-wide scrutiny. In early March, both sides said they were optimistic that an acceptable agreement was days away. As federal ministry of ustice lawyers reviewed the wording of the deal, which band advisor Fred Lennarson described as acceptable to the Lubicon people, the sides were meeting in Edmonton to iron out any last minute wrinkles.

If all goes smoothly, a final land claim agreement-in-principle could be announced before the end of the month.