The government is making efforts to speed up the specific claims process.
The department of Aboriginal Affairs says minister Bernard Valcourt has been given increased authority to approve financial settlements with bands.
Those settlements can be as high as $50 million as long as they’re negotiated.
The government says by enhancing the minister’s authority it is fulfilling its commitment to conclude specific claims in a more timely fashion.
In an email the ministry says the move was made possible by a streamlining of the internal approval process and enhancing the minister’s authority.
Since 2007, Canada has settled 845 specific claims through negotiated agreements but the backlog is still considerable.
The department says the change is a response to calls from First Nations that the current specific claims process takes too long.