Both the Northern Territory's chief minister and opposition leader say they're open to discussing establishing a treaty with indigenous people.
At a joint Central and Northern Land Council meeting at Kalkarindji in central Australia on Thursday, some of the most powerful Aboriginal community representatives from across the NT asked both leaders whether they would back a treaty process.
"I don't know what a treaty looks like, I don't know what it means, there's a conversation to be had, I'm happy to have that conversation," Chief Minister Adam Giles said.
He said he would set up a parliamentary committee to travel across the NT talking to traditional owners to "start seeing what that looks like and getting a form of agreement that goes beyond party politics, beyond the four-year cycle".
Labor Opposition Leader Michael Gunner said he also backed discussing a treaty.
"I want that to be led by you and I'll take advice from you," he told the joint councils.
The national conversation about constitutional recognition of indigenous people has been splintering into different state and community calls for individual treaties as well as a federal treaty either alongside or in place of it.
A referendum was tentatively set down for May next year on the 50th anniversary of the last successful Australian referendum but that has since been deemed too soon, with political leaders of both stripes saying Australia needs more time to decide what kind of recognition it wants and what form it will take.
The NT election will be held on August 27.
