The federal budget tabled Nov. 5 sets aside roughly $50 billion for Indigenous communities, mostly over the next 10 years.

In his budget speech before the House of Commons, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne framed the spending as part of reconciliation, saying, “building a strong and united Canada also means continuing the important work of reconciliation.”

The budget money is for programs, separate from the settlements. The largest piece is about $32 billion for First Nations housing and infrastructure, including $11 billion for housing and $18.5 billion for a new on-reserve infrastructure program, both starting in 2027–28.

The financial commitment comes two weeks after a Fraser Institute study, Compensation for Past Treatment of Indigenous People, estimated that Ottawa has already paid out $113.2 billion in today’s dollars since 1974 to settle Indigenous lawsuits, specific claims and class actions, most of which has been paid during the past decade.

“Most Canadians are not aware of the enormous payments Ottawa has made to First Nations to settle legal claims and class action lawsuits,” stated Fraser Institute senior fellow Tom Flanagan in the release following the study.

Here in B.C., the study puts the total at nearly $17.0 billion:

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• $13.4 billion from class-action settlements: $8.0 billion in payments to individuals and $5.4 billion to First Nations and other groups
• $3.0 billion in specific claims

Nationally, specific claims (negotiated settlements over past breaches of treaties or the Indian Act) cost $29.4 billion across 801 settlements between 1974–75 and 2025–26.

In 1974, there were two settlements worth $1.8 million. In 2024–25, the peak year, there were 69 worth $7.3 billion. Last fiscal year saw 30, worth $2.7 billion.

The bigger bill is class actions. Nine have been settled since 2007, for a total of $83.2 billion: $49.4 billion to individuals and $33.8 billion to First Nations and other organizations. The $113.2-billion total doesn’t include treaties signed outside B.C.

Flanagan says the number of claims, and what taxpayers pay, “should be going down, not up, but that is not the case.” He also says the figures should prompt the question of whether these “efforts are improving the wellbeing of indigenous populations in Canada.”