Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty wants the Harper government to change the system in place to resolve land claim disputes between Canada's First Nations and Ottawa.
Aboriginal leaders are planning to block railway lines nationwide on June 29 to protest slow progress on the more than 800 unresolved land claims.
McGuinty says an independent panel or a separate authority should be set up to work with all sides in the dispute.
"There's a heavy responsibility here placed on the federal government," the premier said Sunday on CTV's Question Period.
"When it comes to the land claims issues, provinces and territories are overwhelmingly caught up in peacekeeping missions, trying to settle disputes that often predate Confederation between the federal government and a First Nations community.
"So I place a heavy weight on the shoulders of the prime minister."
While McGuinty said Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not create the current circumstances which see provinces and territories shouldering much of the burden of disputes over land claims, "he's in a position now to change the process -- and I'm more than willing to sit down and work with him or whoever in the federal government" to make that change.
McGuinty also urged aboriginal leaders to follow the law and refrain from disrupting economic activity during their planned June 29 day of action.
"My advice to our First Nations leaders would be, let's allow cooler heads prevail. Let's, of course, indulge in our cherished freedom of expression. You want to protest, that's fine. That's one of the things that we fought for to ensure we could avail ourselves to give expression to concerns," he said on Question Period.
"But let's respect the law while we do so. Let's not compromise economic activity."
Aboriginal chiefs met in Quebec last week to discuss the day of protest, which some fear could include blockades and disrupt roads and railway lines across the country.
Williams' views
Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams, who met recently with Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine, told Question Period it's time for Canadians and the nation's leaders to look past disruptions on their roads and see the bigger picture.
"You know, any time there's any thought of any civil unrest it's a concern for any leaders in the country," said Williams. "But I sense obviously from Chief Fontaine a sense of responsibility. He's obviously very rational about this.
''I think they need to be more concerned about the issue that's at stake here," he added. "Poverty and poverty among native children, it's a huge issue. Not having the funds ... the $5 billion allocated in Kelowna, is a breach of promise, a breach of trust between our founding nations and the Government of Canada.
"So the message is we have to do something about this and the fact that a protest has been indicated and a protest is going to happen, then it's really time to stand up and take notice."
