It's been 25 years since the Nova Scotia Legislature declared its intention to create a seat for the Mi’kmaq people, but that still hasn't happened.

In 1992, the government amended the House of Assembly Act, declaring its intention to create an additional seat for a representative of the Mi’kmaq, but the community has never opted to fill it.

Both the premier and a leading Mi’kmaq leader say they are fine with leaving things as they are, although not everyone agrees.

On National Aboriginal Day Wednesday, Premier Stephen McNeil spoke of a long history of cooperation between indigenous people and settlers in Nova Scotia, cooperation he says is continuing under his own government.

“What we've done is lined up, so there's a chief who's responsible for education, they work with the minister, there's one for natural resources who works with that minister,” says McNeil.

The Assembly of  Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs says it's focusing on building its own government structure. The assembly has met with government annually for the last seven years.

“We'll still consider it, you know, down the road,” says Chief Sidney Peters of Glooscap First Nation. “It's kind of unique here in Nova Scotia, because we meet with the premier and the ministers at least once a year.”

“Treaty education came out of that, the work around Boat Harbour was before that,” says McNeil. “They've been very supportive of us to make sure that happens.”

While the premier and the assembly say the relationship is working, there are some who say it is time for formal representation.

“We need representation in the legislature because we don't really know what goes on, we being the aboriginal, the Mi’kmaq,” says former provincial candidate Trevor Sanipass.

Sanipass says it is also time for more Aboriginal people to run in provincial elections. Nova Scotians have never elected a Mi’kmaq person to the House of Assembly.

The House of Assembly states that as long as that Mi’kmaq seat isn't filled, the premier and opposition leaders are required to meet with a Mi’kmaq representative at least once a year and the premier is supposed to report back to the legislature.  Premier McNeil says that is not happening under his leadership, but he does meet with the chiefs annually.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Sarah Ritchie.