Cutting billions of dollars from the Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) budget could worsen the quality of essential programs and may spark lawsuits that would cost Ottawa more money in the long term, some Indigenous advocates say.

The warning comes in response to an internal government email sent last week confirming Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal government has asked ISC, like other departments, to cut planned spending by up to 15 per cent over three years.

That's cause for alarm, according to children's advocate Cindy Blackstock, particularly because Carney has said areas like provincial health-care transfers or individual benefits like pensions will be protected but never offered that guarantee for services to Indigenous peoples.

"It really has a smack of almost racist fiscal

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