Water washed out about 80 per cent of Peguis First Nation and forced hundreds of residents to leave their homes this spring. (John Redekop/CBC)

Federal Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl said Ottawa is ready to help First Nations communities in Manitoba hit hard by flooding.

At the height of this spring's flooding, aboriginal people made up nearly half of the 2,500 evacuees in the province. Hundreds of reserve homes have been damaged by ice and water.

'There is concern about water contamination, backed-up sewer systems, and it needs to be cleaned up properly or there will be long-term problems, so we'll be there to help.'— Federal Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl

Strahl said the federal government will distribute compensation funding through Manitoba's emergency measures organization.

"We'll work with the Manitoba government and First Nations to make sure the federal government will be there to help with the clean-up," he said. "There is concern about water contamination, backed-up sewer systems, and it needs to be cleaned up properly or there will be long-term problems, so we'll be there to help."

Strahl said it makes sense to spend money on better flood protection rather than paying every year for the clean-up. At the same time, he said Mother Nature is not always predictable.

"Sometimes, the predication of your best expert just doesn't get to first base. The flood came, it abated and came back again, and when people thought it was over, the worst of it had yet to come," he said. "So, I don't know if it was miscommunication as much as the reality of a very serious flood that took on a life of its own."

Strahl intends to meet with provincial ministers in Ottawa next week and discuss the matter while the federal government frees up money for compensation and clean-up in the short term.

People from the Peguis and Fisher River First Nations north of Winnipeg have complained about not getting enough warning to protect their communities from rising floodwaters.

More than 1,000 evacuees from First Nations

More than 1,000 people were forced out of their homes during the flood, which washed out roads and damaged homes.

Fisher River Chief David Crate is demanding a commitment from the government to find and fund solutions to what he sees as the root of the problem: that many First Nations live in flood-prone areas.

"We are very restricted in where we can build our homes in the community just because the land is really unusable, a lot of swamp," he said this week. "The key factor is government and their commitment to funding the long-term solutions for both Fisher River and Peguis."

A few hundred evacuees from Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation in southern Manitoba remain in Winnipeg while most of the 230 people who had to leave Fisher River First Nation are back home.

Hundreds of residents of Peguis First Nation have no idea when they will be able to go home as nearly 80 per cent of the reserve land is submerged.

"We have been doing some work both with the Manitoba government and the First Nation at Peguis to determine what can and should be done there and in Fisher River," Strahl said. "It's very complex because of the confluence of the rivers, the part of flood plain they're on, and the size of the community."