Six Nations Chief David General says there are too many negotiators from the native side at the talks trying to end the year-long Caledonia standoff.
The head of the elected band council says Six Nations should look at limiting the number of people at the table and even relocating the talks from the Oneida Business Park.
"There are too many agendas and too many voices," General said yesterday. "It's an impediment right now. We inside of Six Nations have to sit down and have some heart-to-heart talks."
General is one of only a few representatives the provincial and federal negotiators have said they're willing to negotiate with, but the Six Nations approach allows dozens of aboriginal observers to participate. General said that's hindering progress toward ending the occupation of Douglas Creek Estates, which marked its one-year anniversary Feb. 28.
"Right now, the room is too big. There are too many people there."
Six Nations negotiations are being lead by chiefs from the Confederacy, the traditional government. The band council delegated the task to them.
Talks are to resume next Wednesday, but Canada and Ontario have said they will not return until Six Nations straightens out its internal rifts between the band council and Confederacy supporters. Negotiators walked away after General was accosted and barred from the talks by five young men in support of Confederacy chiefs.
Former Ontario premier David Peterson, who started talks last year, found negotiating with aboriginals wasn't easy. He recalled there would be 40 people in the room from the Six Nations side. But, he said, it's better than the alternative.