On May 15, the Alberta government announced that more than $16 million in grant funding was being made available through Indigenous Relations programs to support Indigenous-led initiatives. The funding includes support for community safety, youth programming, language revitalization, cultural projects and capacity building.

The Alberta government budgeted about $238 million for Indigenous Relations programs in the 2025-26 fiscal year. The funding covers Indigenous consultation, economic partnerships, community grants and reconciliation initiatives. The province stated the money would be distributed through the Community Support Fund, Indigenous Reconciliation Initiative and Aboriginal Business Investment Fund.

Provincial projections show Alberta’s Indigenous Relations spending is expected to rise to approximately $268 million in 2026.

At the federal level, government spending on Indigenous programs and services exceeded $38 billion in 2025 through departments including Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.

Federal spending plans included funding for Indigenous economic development, agreements with First Nations governments and support for Indigenous-owned businesses connected to major projects.

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada accounted for roughly $13 billion in 2025-26 spending. That funding included treaty negotiations, land claims, self-government agreements, settlement payments and reconciliation initiatives. Federal documents showed a significant portion of the money was directed toward grants, contributions and settlement-related payments.

Federal estimates for 2026-27 show Ottawa plans to continue major Indigenous-related spending. Indigenous Services Canada is projected to spend about $24.1 billion, while Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada is seeking approximately $11.8 billion in spending authority.

Additional Indigenous-related funding also flows through federal departments and agencies including Health Canada, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Natural Resources Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada. Those programs include Indigenous housing, mental health supports, employment initiatives, economic development and infrastructure partnerships.

According to the 2021 Census from Statistics Canada, Canada had 1.8 million Indigenous people, representing about five per cent of the country’s population. The total included more than one million First Nations people, about 624,000 Métis and more than 70,000 Inuit.

Statistics Canada also reported that more than 800,000 Indigenous people lived in major urban centres across the country, while federal data showed about 62.5 per cent of Registered Indians lived off reserve in 2021.