Statehood bid splits indigenous leaders in NT

There's another push for statehood for the Northern Territory underway, but as Bill Code reports, many indigenous leaders have reservations about increased autonomy from Canberra.

There's a push for statehood underway in the Northern Territory, with bi-partisan support in Darwin for a referendum on the issue.

In March, Territorians will vote for representatives in a statehood convention, which will draft a constitution to be voted on.

But amongst the Land Councils which represent indigenous people, there are again calls - following a refusal to back an earlier bid in 1998 - to slow down on the race for statehood, and face some of the more pressing issues facing indigenous Territorians.

Bill Code has more.

View a longer version of the story which aired on SBS 's Living Black: