...[The] grand chief of the Assembly of First Nations Phil Fontaine...[is] pushing a recent deal with the mining industry that he hopes will end clashes that have seen aboriginal leaders jailed and prospectors forbidden to explore land on which they hold legitimate claims... Seven northern Ontario aboriginal leaders served almost 10 weeks in jail after protesting resource exploration on their traditional lands... In March, the AFN and the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada signed an agreement intended to get the two parties talking before any conflicts occur... The key will be to get companies and First Nations talking before mineral claims are made. Right now, companies don't have to consult with a band when staking ground, even if that land is considered traditional territory.