The Manitoba Métis Federation says it may have to stop doing business with the federal Aboriginal Affairs Department if there are more funding cuts.

The province's aboriginal political organizations have learned this week that their federal funding is being slashed.

The largest of those organizations, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, says it faces an 80 per cent reduction to its core funding, from $2.6 million annually to just $500,000.

Métis federation president David Chartrand says it receives a $460,000 operating grant from Aboriginal Affairs, which accounts for just a small portion of its budget.

However, Chartrand said much of his organization's funding comes from federal project funding. If those projects are cut, it could have a big impact, he said.

"We can't afford it. And already, in fact, most of the relationship with [the department], it's to a point where … the Métis government is slowly considering whether we can afford to continue to do business with them," he told CBC News on Friday.

Chartrand said the federation does a number of projects for the federal government, such as tracking who exactly is considered to be Métis in Manitoba.

He said the federation is trying to sort out exactly what the latest funding cuts will mean, and he wants details about what cuts there may be to project funding.

"They're suffocating us to a point where we won't be able to provide these services," he said.

"We won't be able to do a proper membership drive and membership review and truly know the full population of the Métis people in this province."

Chartrand said the federation will continue with its plan to operate the Riel House National Historic Site, since that money comes from a different fund.