Who We Are
Supporting claims, research, and documentation work across Canada.
Wampum Records is an Indigenous-owned research and consulting firm supporting Indigenous communities, federal programs, and partner organizations. Since 2001, we have delivered research, analysis, and documentation services tied to claims, litigation, and national initiatives.
What We Do
We support the full lifecycle of claims and related work, including:
• Claims research and assessment
• Appeals and reconsideration support
• Litigation research and document production
• Archival research and collection development
• Quality control and redaction
• Our work is grounded in primary source research, structured analysis, and clear reporting aligned with federal standards and processes.
Experience That Matters
Our team has supported major national programs and initiatives related to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, including:
• Independent Assessment Process (IAP)
• Common Experience Payment (CEP)
• Appeals and reconsideration processes
• Litigation and special projects
• National document disclosure initiatives
• We have worked across all stages of these processes, from initial research through final review and quality control.
How We Work
Evidence-based: All work is grounded in verifiable records and structured research methods
Practical: Deliverables are clear, usable, and aligned with real-world requirements
Collaborative: We work closely with clients to understand context and priorities
Consistent: We maintain quality and accuracy across high-volume, high-sensitivity work
Why Wampum Records
Clients rely on Wampum Records for:
• Depth of experience in claims and historical research
• Ability to manage complex, multi-phase work
• Strong quality control and documentation practices
• Reliable delivery under tight timelines
Executive Team
At Wampum Records, our consultants will bring a wealth of experience to your project needs. Our consultants come from a variety of educational and experiential backgrounds. We bring over twenty-five years of consulting services with a focus on Indigenous relations, specifically Indigenous Claims.
Research Director - Taynar Simpson
Chief Taynar Simpson has dedicated his life and career to the advancement of First Nations causes in Canada. For nearly thirty years, Chief Simpson has been leading national reconciliation efforts and projects.
As a civilian employee at National Defence Headquarters in the mid-nineties, Taynar was part of the team that brought Employment Equity and gender integration to the Canadian Forces. Starting in 1999, Chief Simpson worked on the Indian Residential School (IRS) litigation, IRS Alternative Dispute Resolution and eventually the IRS Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) process. He would spend the next 25 years working on national IRS reconciliation initiatives. Simpson’s other positions include Communications Analyst at both DIAND and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), Policy Analyst at AANDC and field reporter for Windspeaker news magazine.
In 2000, Taynar consolidated his experience by founding his company, Wampum Records. Since then, the company has become Canada’s premier research and consulting company on Indigenous issues. Wampum Records conducted the research for the Indian residential schools resolution, the day schools resolution, and the sixties scoop resolution national initiatives. Recently, Taynar was the project lead for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) Missing Children Phase 2 (MCP2) project that identified the thousands of children who perished at Canada’s residential schools.
Chief Simpson has sat on several Boards and Trusts. Some of these Board positions include Chairman of the Board of Alderville Solar Inc. which is Canada’s largest wholly Indigenous-owned energy project. He is currently the vice-Chair of the Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child and Family Services (DBCFS) Board of Directors. Chief Simpson is also the vice-Chair of the Ogemawahj Tribal Council (OTC). Taynar has been a Trustee on both the Alderville Williams Treaty Settlement Agreement Trust (AWTSAT) and the Alderville Community Trust (ACT). Chief Simpson recently joined the Board of Directors of the Anishnawbe Health Foundation. Taynar currently serves as the Chief of Alderville First Nation where he previously held the role of Councillor.
Daryl Crowe – Operations and Project Delivery Manager
Daryl has served as Operations Manager at Wampum Records since 2013, supporting the firm’s growth and stability through leadership in project management, compliance, and consultant coordination.
Working closely with government partners and Indigenous communities, Daryl oversees operations across multiple contracts, manages consultant onboarding and security requirements, and ensures projects are delivered on time and with precision.
With a focus on clear systems and practical solutions, Daryl anchors the operational side of Wampum Records while helping to guide the firm’s direction as it diversifies into new areas of research and community-based work.
National Research Team
Catherine Clermont
Catherine is a skilled and experienced researcher having managed projects and produced publications on a variety of social issues in Canada including literacy, child poverty, child welfare and foster care. Since 1998 Catherine has researched Indigenous issues including residential and day schools, boarding homes, sixties scoop, hospitals, foster care, and missing children. For over twenty years she has provided research services for projects with Indigenous Affairs and more recently with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Catherine completed an undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Alberta and post-graduate work in Sociology at Queen’s University in Kingston.
Daniel Cleasby
Daniel has a legal background and has worked on Indigenous historical research since 2006. For many years he worked on the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA), providing valuable research and quality control on Alternative Dispute Resolution, the Common Experience Payment, and Independent Assessment Process. More recently, he has written reports and performed file review at Library and Archives Canada for other projects such as Day Schools, indigenous hospitals, Specific Claims, and non-federal residential institutions, as well as working with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation on Missing Children and Unmarked Burials.
Michael Kitching
Michael has over a decade of experience in research and analysis, report writing and providing advice and recommendations to leadership. Much of his work has contributed directly to Indigenous reconciliation efforts including researching Residential Schools, Day Schools and Missing Children and Burial Grounds. Michael has established an excellent reputation for leading projects from planning to completion and collaborating with diverse teams. In addition to holding a degree in History (Hons.), Michael is a lifelong learner who completed a multidisciplinary MA in 2020 and an Economics certificate in 2023. He has studied Russian and German and is currently working to improve his French language skills.
Martine Carinci
Martine is a senior bilingual researcher with 37 years of bibliographic document and 11 years of Indigenous historical record research expertise. She has worked as a library technician for the National Library of Canada, and the Ottawa Public Library, and as senior research consultant on several projects at Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC), and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) including the Common Experience Payment (CEP), Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP), Advanced Payment (AP), Independent Assessment Process (IAP) and the Resolution and Individual Affairs (RIA) projects. Martine is also a co-founder and president of a non-profit charitable organization aiding over 100 families in the National Capital Region.
Victoria Pennell
Victoria Pennell is a service-driven individual with a keen passion for providing sustainable support and strategic guidance in operations management and administration with over 16 years of experience working in a federal political office. During this time, she has completed extensive online research for constituents and politicians, including traditional research at Library and Archives Canada. Most recently, she was the Assistant Project Manager for the Survivor Inquiries project with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Victoria has completed an undergraduate degree in pollical science at the University of Ottawa.
Shawna Liao
Shawna Liao is an Indigenous earth scientist and water expert who has 20 years’ experience working with Natural Resources Canada. Her work has focused on protecting water across Canada through her research into hydrological systems and auditing of environmental assessment reports for mining, power generation, pipeline, and other infrastructure projects. Shawna joined the Wampum Records team in 2025, conducting archival research into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). She has taken training in Indigenous tourism through Indigenous Tourism Ontario and volunteers at Mādahòkì Farm, Ottawa’s Indigenous cultural agritourism destination. Shawna holds a Master’s degree in Earth Sciences from the University of Western Ontario. She is also an avid beader and teacher of traditional Indigenous crafts.
Supporting claims, research, and documentation work across Canada.
If you have any questions pertaining to our services then please call
Taynar Simpson at (289) 251-0616