The Matawa First Nations chiefs have withdrawn a legal challenge to the federal environmental assessment of the Cliffs chromite project in the Ring of Fire.
The case was set to be heard by Federal Court later this month.
In a news release Wednesday, the Matawa Tribal Council said that when it started the court case in late 2011, there was no negotiation table, and it was pushed into a corner.
"There's a forum for discussions with Ontario now and it's going to look at the environmental assessment question, as well as other issues," Aroland Chief Sonny Gagnon said.
Talks with Ontario began recently with Bob Rae representing the First Nations, and Frank Iacobucci negotiating for the government.
Matawa said it expects that mining companies and the federal government will also be involved.
Matawa's announcement came one day after a declaration by Marten Falls First Nation, also a member of the tribal council, that it had withdrawn from the court challenge.