It is not the first time there has been talk of a treaty or treaties between Indigenous peoples and the rest of the Australian community, and this time round the debate has only just begun. The debate has already taken off on a number of fronts. Who will negotiate a treaty or treaties? How long will it take? Does it involve constitutional amendment? What will it do for economic development within Indigenous communities? Where does the issue of sovereignty fit in? In this first Discussion Paper Sean Brennan examines three questions that need to be explored before we move on to some of those other important issues: Why bother having a three year project devoted to the idea of a treaty or treaties? What do we mean when we use the term 'treaty'? Are we talking about a single treaty or more than one?