Indigenous leaders are hoping to persuade Prime Minister Tony Abbott to reconsider his opposition to a series of meetings they want to hold on constitutional recognition.
Four of them have been summoned to Canberra for talks with Mr Abbott on Thursday, after he ruled out funding their plan for special indigenous consultations.
The consultations, which have the backing of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, are aimed at helping draft the question for a referendum likely in 2017.
Noel Pearson, Patrick Dodson, Megan Davis and Kirstie Parker hope the prime minister will change his mind and make the process about indigenous Australians and not just the general community.
Ms Parker believes Mr Abbott's rejection of their plan, put to him following a summit with indigenous leaders in July, was a "knee jerk" reaction.
"We are optimistic about tomorrow's meeting but we will know around lunchtime tomorrow how persuasive we have been able to be," she told ABC television on Wednesday.
Mr Dodson hopes Mr Abbott will be able to understand more clearly what they're trying to do and achieve.
"I wouldn't like to see this as an either his position or our position," he said.
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