Also known as comprehensive land claims agreements, modern treaties are generally signed where Indigenous title and rights have not been settled. To date 25 modern treaties have been concluded between the Crown and Indigenous peoples, covering over 40 per cent of Canada’s land mass. These agreements provide for Indigenous ownership of over 600,000 square km of land, one-time financial transfers of over $3.2 billion, yearly implementation allocations, revenue sharing from resources, and law-making powers. Modern treaties also provide for Indigenous consultation and shared decision making over a broader land base, processes for how the Crown and Indigenous peoples will make decisions together and how their relationships will function.

More modern treaties will be signed in the coming years; more than 50 Indigenous groups are currently negotiating modern treaties with the Government of Canada.