Canadian First Nations financial Data

[Goddess]

This independent investigative journalist has compiled financial data for 575 First Nations in Canada.  Link to publicly available data below his explanation.

 

CDN First Nations wealth, and wealth per capita, taken from Financial Statements.

CDN First Nations are required by law to make public their Financial Statements But in 2015 Justin Trudeau said 'Don't worry, though I swore an Oath to uphold the laws of Canada, I'm going to selectively enforce them based on race.' He should have been evicted on this alone.

However, most bands do file them, or at least most Financial Statements are available, (but not always up to date). But they are PDF's which makes it extremely difficult for us plebs to comprise encompassing financial data. I suggest it's on purpose.

So I downloaded all 575 Financial Statements, and manually scraped the data for accuracy. I wanted to see the CASH of each band, and the ACCUMULATED SURPLUS (Net Equity). Then I scraped the Reserve population of each band, and correlated the PER CAPITA WEALTH.

 

The CASH position is not the total Financial Position, like Investments, Receivables, etc, but just CASH! Like the Wiikwemkoong who have $755M in cash (from a settlement). Why do we have to keep funding them?

Private sector accounting uses "Net Equity" to show Total Assets - less Total Liabilities Band Statements use Canadian public sector accounting standards, and the term "Accumulated Surplus", which assumes perpetual funding. Samson Cree Nation expects perpetual funding.

Each Reserve population is published as a webpage, not a database, but I scraped that too, to get a per capita correlation. On Reserve is directly tied to Band wealth, where off Reserve is not dealt the same. Why do some bands have no one on Reserve, but yearly funding?

To add transparency I have made all 575 financial statements available for download, as well as the spreadsheets complied to make the data for the webpage. If you find an error please let me know.

Why did I do this? Because there is no accountability in First Nations financing. We pay for them as a single entity, but many band members are far wealthier than the average Canadian per capita, and so when will it stop? Can't we ask a financial questions, or is that rAcIsT?

I hope this helps people who want to know where their taxes are being spent, and find corruption within government. I did this so everyone can investigate, to reduce misinformation, and to bring accountability. I don't make money from X and I don't want any money from you.

 

But once see the Financial Statements, and factor taxpayer funding, an entire new picture comes to light, and many more questions arise. Far more than just when will it stop, but WTF is going on??

LINK:

Canadian First Nations Financial Data

 

I think that most Indigenous are just like you and me, governed by people who tell lies, grease their friends, make shady deals, and foster division to detract from accountability. Band members sued their own Nation to get Band financial statements.

Federal Court Orders Thunderchild First Nation to Disclose Financial Records - NetNewsLedger

 

 

[ironstone]

Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chretien had proposed 'The White Paper' back in 1969.

"The 1969 White Paper (officially entitled Statement of the Government of Canada on Indian Policy) was a policy paper proposal set forth by the Government of Canada related to First Nations. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and his Minister of Indian Affairs, Jean Chrétien, issued the paper in 1969. The White Paper proposed to abolish all legal documents that had previously existed, including (but not limited to) the Indian Act, and all existing treaties within Canada, comprising Canadian Aboriginal law. It proposed to assimilate First Nations as an ethnic group equal to other Canadian citizens. The White Paper was met with widespread criticism and activism, causing the proposal to be officially withdrawn in 1970.

The White Paper proposed legislation to eliminate Indian status. Indigenous people would be granted full rights as citizens instead of being regarded as wards of the state. First Nations Peoples would be incorporated fully into provincial government responsibilities as equal Canadian citizens, and reserve status would be removed; laws of private property would be imposed in Indigenous communities. Any special programs or considerations that had been allowed to First Nations people under previous legislation would be terminated. The Government believed that such special considerations acted to separate Indian peoples from other Canadian citizens."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1969_White_Paper

Just imagine how things might be today if they didn't back down with this more sensible proposal.

 

[eyeball]

18 hours ago, Goddess said:

I think that most Indigenous are just like you and me, governed by people who tell lies, grease their friends, make shady deals, and foster division to detract from accountability. Band members sued their own Nation to get Band financial statements.

I agree wholeheartedly. We should incorporate an idea local First Nations people hereabouts insisted on when it came to their band negotiating a treaty with the government.

Process Guardians....human witnesses who can observe record and report back to the community what they hear and see being done on the communities behalf.

The best most important revolutions are often those that coalesce around indigenous aspirations.

[Moonbox]

On 1/1/2026 at 7:39 PM, Goddess said:

Why did I do this? Because there is no accountability in First Nations financing. We pay for them as a single entity, but many band members are far wealthier than the average Canadian per capita, and so when will it stop? Can't we ask a financial questions, or is that rAcIsT?

To start, I actually agree with this sentiment and think the whole First Nations situation and how it gets handled is a joke, particularly when it comes to financial accountability.  

That being said, financial statements etc. are something that I look at regularly for a living, and without context a single entry tells us almost nothing.  Without a good look at cashflow and income statements and a comparison to liabilities (especially current but also future) we can't really determine anything.  

A big-looking cash position might not be that big if it only covers a year or so of expenses.  If it's a recent windfall, it might take years to figure out and get agreement on what to do with it, and there may be restrictions on how it can be used/invested.  It might already be earmarked for a large capital project that's awaiting approval. 

There's an endless list of explanations and without actually diving in it's hard to say. I know you said you included links to all of the data, but I doubt anyone's going to take you up on that offer (not me at least).  This is more just a general comment that you're presenting less than half of the information you'd need to make any sort of judgment. 

Again though, in a lot of cases I suspect you'd be right in the overall argument.  

 

[TreeBeard]

32 minutes ago, Moonbox said:

To start, I actually agree with this sentiment and think the whole First Nations situation and how it gets handled is a joke, particularly when it comes to financial accountability.  

That being said, financial statements etc. are something that I look at regularly for a living, and without context a single entry tells us almost nothing.  Without a good look at cashflow and income statements and a comparison to liabilities (especially current but also future) we can't really determine anything.  

A big-looking cash position might not be that big if it only covers a year or so of expenses.  If it's a recent windfall, it might take years to figure out and get agreement on what to do with it, and there may be restrictions on how it can be used/invested.  It might already be earmarked for a large capital project that's awaiting approval. 

There's an endless list of explanations and without actually diving in it's hard to say. I know you said you included links to all of the data, but I doubt anyone's going to take you up on that offer (not me at least).  This is more just a general comment that you're presenting less than half of the information you'd need to make any sort of judgment. 

Again though, in a lot of cases I suspect you'd be right in the overall argument.  

 

Completely agree.  The other part that doesn’t pass the smell-test is blaming a single political party for this.  The posters here are just partisan hacks. 

[Goddess]

32 minutes ago, Moonbox said:

Again though, in a lot of cases I suspect you'd be right in the overall argument.  

Early in the J. Trudeau PMship, I had a friend who worked in Ontario for the gov't to get water onto reserves that didn't have it.

He told me it was nearly impossible and in the end, very little got done.  On almost every reserve, the chiefs refused to get water.  they got bigger subsidies from the gov't for not having water and then the chiefs take the majority of those subsidies and buy trucks and housing for themselves.  the people on the reserves got next to nothing.

[eyeball]

1 hour ago, Moonbox said:

This is more just a general comment that you're presenting less than half of the information you'd need to make any sort of judgment. 

This is how human governance rolls everywhere, all the time.

A better preamble to our Constitution would have been;

God, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to realize there's probably fùck all we can do after all.

[Moonlight Graham]

"Holding first nations financially accountable is racist" - dumb racist people in the Liberal Party, NDP etc

The other half of this is that the politicians who give them money don't often care much where it goes.   They give the money, pat themselves on the back for it in front of voters , and then don't bother to check in.  It's not their money after all, why would they care?

I've also dealt with first nations organizations in my career, most were small local ones on reserves.  I had a very hard time getting them to send me the proper paperwork, the hardest of anyone I've ever dealt with.  You see this a lot in poor populations:  irresponsibility and they just don't have their sh*t together.  If that offends people then that's a *you* problem.  If you want people to never get their sh*t together the best thing to do is to continue not demanding responsibility from them.

[TreeBeard]

5 hours ago, Goddess said:

they got bigger subsidies from the gov't for not having water

Show some evidence for this claim.  

[Moonbox]

19 hours ago, Goddess said:

Early in the J. Trudeau PMship, I had a friend who worked in Ontario for the gov't to get water onto reserves that didn't have it.

He told me it was nearly impossible and in the end, very little got done.  On almost every reserve, the chiefs refused to get water.  they got bigger subsidies from the gov't for not having water and then the chiefs take the majority of those subsidies and buy trucks and housing for themselves.  the people on the reserves got next to nothing.

I suspect that the quality and integrity of First Nations leadership varies greatly, both in structure and in the quality of people.  

18 hours ago, eyeball said:

This is how human governance rolls everywhere, all the time.

I guess?  It's a pretty vague and not very helpful commentary.  Goddess here is at least looking at numbers.  The picture is incomplete, but the info is there and it's worth asking the questions.  She is probably on to something here.

[Goddess]

1 hour ago, Moonbox said:

The picture is incomplete, but the info is there and it's worth asking the questions.  She is probably on to something here.

Just FYI, it's not me that put these numbers together.  It was a guy going by "Reclamare" on X.  Interestingly, his account is gone today and I think you cannot access his spreadsheet anymore, all within 24 hours.

From the OP, he did say the info was culled from publicly available documents, so not intended as a complete forensic audit in any way.  I assume you would need to FOIP their actual books and he did find that most provide no fiscal data whatsoever.

As you say, it's a good place to start.  I've thought for many years now that lack of funding is not the problem with the Indigenous.  It's more of a "your chiefs are stealing all your money" problem.

The system is not sustainable.

I appreciate your input on this topic, thank you.

[Goddess]

1 hour ago, Moonbox said:

I suspect that the quality and integrity of First Nations leadership varies greatly, both in structure and in the quality of people.

Chief Clarence Louie in Osoyoos is an outstanding example of one who led his band to prosperity.

There was another good chief I hadn't heard of before, Polievre mentioned him in a video the other day.....I thought I would remember the name and look that chief up, but, haha.....I don't remember today.  Will have to do some digging.

[Goddess]

15 hours ago, TreeBeard said:

Show some evidence for this claim.  

They don't call it "subsidies", they call it "compensation and remediation".

The $$ is supposed to go to the costs of building, maintaining water systems, but it rarely does.

It's covered under the First Nations Drinking Water Settlement.

I doubt you will look into anything, it appears you just pop onto whatever topic I am on or started, usually knowing less than zero about the topic, demand cites and further info, then vanish like a fart in the wind when they're provided.

In fact, from what I see here, you know very little about almost any topic, have zero insights to offer or discuss and only pop into topics to bark like a chihuahua at anyone who doesn't worship the Liberals.

**tosses you a Milk Bone**

[Moonbox]

46 minutes ago, Goddess said:

From the OP, he did say the info was culled from publicly available documents, so not intended as a complete forensic audit in any way.  I assume you would need to FOIP their actual books and he did find that most provide no fiscal data whatsoever.

Well I don't think either of us are interested in that sort of homework.  I just know that if you're talking about accounting entries, assets and liabilities published on the same page (balance sheet).  That, along with attached income and cashflow statements, are bare minimums for providing informative commentary, casual or otherwise.  

46 minutes ago, Goddess said:

As you say, it's a good place to start.  I've thought for many years now that lack of funding is not the problem with the Indigenous.  It's more of a "your chiefs are stealing all your money" problem.

For me the big question is why does a First Nations have $700M in cash sitting around?  That's like the annual expenditure of prosperous city of ~150,000.  Maybe it's a big reserve with a big budget.  Maybe they got a big gubberment settlement.  Maybe, however, they're just accumulating money they aren't using and therefore don't actually need? 

Without context we have no idea.   

[Goddess]

8 minutes ago, Moonbox said:

Maybe it's a big reserve with a big budget. 

The OP broke it down according to number of people on each reserve and divided it out to, per person living on reserve.

10 minutes ago, Moonbox said:

Maybe they got a big gubberment settlement. 

The OP did manage to find and record if the money was likely the result of some kind of settlement.

I think it's obvious the money, vast swaths of it, are not getting to individual indigenous persons or being used to maintain reserves.  I think we all know this.

[CdnFox]

8 minutes ago, Goddess said:

The OP broke it down according to number of people on each reserve and divided it out to, per person living on reserve.

The OP did manage to find and record if the money was likely the result of some kind of settlement.

I think it's obvious the money, vast swaths of it, are not getting to individual indigenous persons or being used to maintain reserves.  I think we all know this.

This has been a problem for a very long time. The chiefs and their allies live in comparative luxury and almost nothing gets done for the average person but they're told that it's the government's fault and the government doesn't provide money. So they're all behind the chiefs when the chiefs tell them to do this or that during an election but they don't realize that the biggest barrier to their success is the chiefs themselves.

We've seen many many stories where it turns out that chiefs are making five or 10 million dollars a year for their services and claiming it's fair wages well the rest of their band lives in near poverty

[TreeBeard]

1 hour ago, Goddess said:

The $$ is supposed to go to the costs of building, maintaining water systems, but it rarely does.

Show some evidence.  Where?  How often?  
 

Otherwise it’s just you saying so.  I don’t believe you as you’re a conspiracy nutbar. 

[ironstone]

24 minutes ago, TreeBeard said:

Show some evidence.  Where?  How often?  
 

Otherwise it’s just you saying so.  I don’t believe you as you’re a conspiracy nutbar. 

Search
The Indian Affairs budget in Canada has seen a significant increase since 2015. The budget for Indigenous services has nearly tripled, growing from approximately CAD 11 billion in 2015 to over CAD 32 billion in 2025. This represents an increase of about 181% over the decade.

So, an enormous amount of money being directed to the Indian Affairs budget.

And yet, there are still serious housing issues with First Nations people.

GPT-4o mini
Yes, there are significant housing problems on First Nation reserves in Canada. These issues include:

Insufficient Housing
Many First Nations face a severe shortage of adequate housing. Some communities have long waiting lists for homes, leading to overcrowding.

Poor Housing Quality
A substantial number of homes on reserves are in disrepair, with issues like mold, inadequate insulation, and lack of running water. This can contribute to health problems among residents.

Isn't this a clear indication that all that money is not being used in a prudent manner?

Chief Ron Giesbrecht of the tiny Kwikwetlem First Nation in British Columbia’s lower mainland took home an eye-popping $914,219 in 2013. The band has a population of only 82!

Chief Paul Sam of Shuswap Indian Band in BC, with 87 residents, earned $202,413 in 2013. Many Shuswap reserve residents have asked questions for more than a decade about the band’s spending, even going so far as to occupy the band office demanding answers that, until now, went unanswered. The houses are in disrepair. Band members are living with no water and sewer!

Edited January 6 by ironstone

[Goddess]

13 minutes ago, ironstone said:

The Indian Affairs budget in Canada has seen a significant increase since 2015. The budget for Indigenous services has nearly tripled, growing from approximately CAD 11 billion in 2015 to over CAD 32 billion in 2025. This represents an increase of about 181% over the decade.

Even the MSM has reported that next to nothing was done on Indigenous water issues during Trudeau's regime.  And yet we've dumped all this money into it.  Where did all that money go?

But Treebaby is going to support the Liberals, no matter what.  And right now, they are saying everything in Canada is going GREAT!  Canadians have never had it so good!  You're just imagining any problems!

He will not look anything up.  He will not ask any questions.  He will not ask the Indigenous people.  He will not investigate on his own.  He will not accept any info that doesn't come from CBC or CTV.

He is spoon-fed his info from CBC and he loves it that way.  No thinking needed.

Edited January 6 by Goddess

[eyeball]

21 minutes ago, TreeBeard said:

Show some evidence.  Where?  How often?  
 

Otherwise it’s just you saying so.  I don’t believe you as you’re a conspiracy nutbar. 

They can't show any evidence because there's no way to collect or verify it.  There's enough leakage to cause suspicion but smoking guns are extremely rare.

Hence the reason for conspiracy theories - to fill in the gaps.

Plebes who lived in the dark ages and conjured up evil forces and supernatural creatures to explain the mysteries they couldn't fathom would feel right at home today.

 

[eyeball]

1 hour ago, Moonbox said:

For me the big question is why does a First Nations have $700M in cash sitting around?  That's like the annual expenditure of prosperous city of ~150,000.  Maybe it's a big reserve with a big budget.  Maybe they got a big gubberment settlement.  Maybe, however, they're just accumulating money they aren't using and therefore don't actually need? 

Without context we have no idea.

It would help if First Nations people were more demanding of transparency from their governments.

It's a little late in the day for coming to the realization ordinary people in First Nations might be getting screwed. After decades if not centuries of being tarred with a brush that painted all First Nations badly it's perhaps understandable where the reluctance to come out in big numbers against their own people comes from - especially if it's mostly because a bunch of fed-up non-natives say they should.

We need to set a better example by demanding more transparency and going after our own governments first.  

[eyeball]

Speaking of following better examples.

Is it just me or do First Nations politics seem to be devoid of the right-wing left-wing polarization that permeates non-native politics?

 

[CdnFox]

11 minutes ago, eyeball said:

Speaking of following better examples.

Is it just me or do First Nations politics seem to be devoid of the right-wing left-wing polarization that permeates non-native politics?

 

There's probably less of it most of the time although certainly at some points it does crossover into left and right politics for certain elements of it.

I think deep down pretty much everybody wants to see the first nations do well. And I think pretty much everybody agrees that they're on the wrong path I'm at the help we're providing isn't helping and that there's a certain culture Within the community that is getting wealthy off of professional victimization and people on the left and right are unhappy with that.

At the end of the day there are some things that even the left and the right can agree on in principle even if they don't always agree on the best solution

[ironstone]

Why would anyone be opposed to something as reasonable as Stephen Harper's First Nations Accountability Act? The decision to scrap the Act was a petty action done by a very petty man.

First Nations get a LOT of money so what's wrong with some accountability on their part? I realize some bands do publish numbers but others choose not to.

[CdnFox]

Just now, ironstone said:

Why would anyone be opposed to something as reasonable as Stephen Harper's First Nations Accountability Act? The decision to scrap the Act was a petty action done by a very petty man.

First Nations get a LOT of money so what's wrong with some accountability on their part? I realize some bands do publish numbers but others choose not to.

Court issues with it but they could have been resolved. Only a complete twat would suggest that they shouldn't be accountable.