The Department of Indian and Northern Affairs hasn't addressed all of the 750 unresolved native land claims because of a lack of resources, information obtained by CBC News shows.

Briefing notes to Minister Jim Prentice show that per-capita spending for services like housing and clean drinking water on reserves has gone down by six per cent over the last decade.

Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice will spend part of the summer addressing the backlog in land claims files.
(Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)

During the same time period, however, the department's spending has gone up by 36 per cent.

The department has been hampered by the cost of resolving land claims, which have tripled in the last 15 years. It spent $536 million negotiating and implementing land claims during the fiscal year ended in 2005.

Prentice said he will spend a part of the summer addressing the rising costs of settling land claims.

"The Liberals left 750 specific claims backlogged in the system," he said. "That's not acceptable and we have to deal with it."

Negotiating costs soar

The lengthy process of negotiating land claims has sent costs skyrocketing.

It took more than 30 years to negotiate the Carcross Tagish self-government and land-claim agreement in the Yukon. The First Nation received a settlement package of $44 million over 15 years.

Carcross Chief Mark Wedge said his community had to take out nearly $3 million in loans to cover its cost to negotiate the deal.

"It would be great if Canada would consider forgiving, or redirecting or reinvesting payments back into the First Nation when there is such a large requirement for resources in the communities," Wedge said.

Prentice has said the government will not forgive loans because it's not fair to other communities that have paid off borrowed money.