Introduction
Wampum Records has supported large-scale research and documentation work related to claims, litigation, and historical records.
The following examples reflect the types of work our team has contributed to over time.
Common Experience Payment (CEP) – National Delivery
The Common Experience Payment (CEP) was financial compensation provided to former residential school students based on the length of time each student attended these government-run schools. It was one part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) and was a means for the federal government to acknowledge and compensate Indian Residential School survivors for the years of lost culture, family, language, community, and sovereignty. Wampum Records provided national research and verification services to confirm eligibility and compensation for former residential school students. High volumes of claims were processed accurately and within required timelines to ensure that all survivors received the compensation they were entitled to.
Appeals and Reconsideration Services (CEP/IAP)
Following the Independent Assessment Process (IAP) and Common Experience Payment (CEP) settlements for Indian Residential School survivors, there remained outstanding disputes over evidence, claim denials, and compensation amounts. These required additional research and judicial review to ensure fair compensation. Wampum Records conducted detailed reassessment of denied or complex claims, producing evidence-based summaries and recommendations, including National Administrative Committee (NAC) Appeals and pre-decision reviews. This resulted in improved decision accuracy and consistency in high-scrutiny cases, ensuring that all claims were addressed fairly and in a timely manner.
Litigation Support – Special Projects
The implementation of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) in 2007 resulted from an agreement between legal counsel for former students, legal counsel for the Churches, the Assembly of First Nations, other Indigenous organizations and the Government of Canada. The Settlement Agreement includes several different elements to address the legacy of Indian Residential Schools, include the Common Experience Payment (CEP), the Independent Assessment Process (IAP), measures to support healing, commemorative activities, and the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
Wampum Records provided research, document analysis, and production support for litigation-related projects under this agreement. Work included large-scale document review, coding, redaction coordination, and preparation of court-ordered materials. The team operated under strict deadlines and high-risk conditions, supporting active legal proceedings and hearings with accurate, well-documented research outputs. Our team delivered critical research and documentation under compressed timelines and supported successful legal processes, contributing to high-profile project outcomes.
Archival Research and Document Collection Development
The researchers at Wampum Records are experts in archival research and archival collection development. Our team has led archival research initiatives across federal, territorial, and institutional document repositories to identify, retrieve, and organize records related to residential schools. This work is often conducted onsite at archival buildings and includes archival document review, development of research plans, and creation of structured document collections. Wampum Records has decades of experience with archival research and have developed tracking systems, research protocols, and quality control processes to support large-scale document acquisition and analysis. This work has resulted in the improved availability and quality of historical records used in claims and litigation.
Quality Control and Redaction Services
Wampum Records are experienced providers of quality control and redaction services for sensitive research deliverables, ensuring compliance with federal standards and ATIP requirements. Work included verification of research outputs, document review, redaction of personal information, and validation of data accuracy. Our team also supported training and oversight of research teams to maintain consistency and quality across deliverables. This work ensured accuracy, completeness, and compliance of high-volume deliverables and reduced risk in disclosure processes and maintained integrity of sensitive information.
National Initiatives and Truth and Reconciliation Commission Support (TRC)
The mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was to inform all Canadians about what happened in residential schools. Throughout its five-year mandate, the TRC documented the truth of Survivors, their families, and communities. They also hosted events to raise awareness of the legacy of residential schools, created a permanent archive by transferring its records to the safekeeping of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), and released a final report in 2015 outlining the 94 Calls to Action to guide Canadian leaders in the process of reconciliation. Wampum Records supported some of this work, including document preparation and disclosure for commission-related work. Services included large-scale document review, data entry, coding, and preparation of records for public release. Our team enabled timely and accurate document disclosure and supported transparency and accessibility of historical records.
Canadiana Héritage Indigenous Veterans Portal
Wampum Records collaborated with Canadiana Héritage to develop an online portal for Indigenous WWII veterans. Canadiana is a non-profit organization affiliated with the National Archives that specializes in maintaining historical records. The role of Wampum Records in this project was to conduct research and connect with Indigenous veterans to capture their experiences from the second World War. This project utilized our researcher’s communication, outreach, and research skills.
Anishinabek Nation
Wampum Records worked with Anishinabek Nation to create an action plan for sharing information on Indian Residential Schools (IRS). The Anishinabek Nation is a political advocate for 39 member First Nations across Ontario, delivering programs and services to member communities and providing a forum for Indigenous-led discussion and action. Wampum Records was called upon to develop the framework for responding to and supporting survivors. Our researchers wrote a detailed IRS history, developed plans for how to engage with survivors and reach milestones, and provided resources and tools for survivors.
Great Whale River (Whapmagoostui) First Nation, Québec
Wampum Records was hired by Great Whale River, now Whapmagoostui, which means “Place of the Beluga” in Cree), First Nation, Québec. This northern Québec community was looking for additional information on Residential Schools related to their First Nation. Wampum Records conducted archival research and provided archival documentation related to Whapmagoostui’s Indian Residential School. One of the deliverables was the creation of a document collection related to the community’s Residential School, thus providing community members access to this important information.
Indian Day Schools
Indian Day Schools were racially segregated educational institutions that were widely operated in Canada from the late 19th century until 2000. The Indian Day School system was developed by the Canadian government to assimilate Indigenous children into mainstream Canadian society by erasing Indigenous culture, language, and tradition. More than 150,000 Indigenous students attended these institutions. In 2019, a $1.47 billion class action settlement was reached for approximately 200,000 former students. Wampum Records provided extensive national research and verification services to confirm eligibility and compensation for former Indian Day School students.
Indian Hospitals
In the 20th century, the federal government established racially segregated “Indian hospitals” for the treatment of First Nation and Inuit people in Canada. In the late 1960’s, the government began to close most of the Indian hospitals and sanatoriums, integrating Indigenous patients into the mainstream publicly-funded hospital system. Many Indigenous patients experienced poor treatment, invasive procedures, and extended and isolating stays for tuberculosis and other diseases. Wampum Records conducted research into the Indian Hospital System in relation to the Indian Residential School System. The two were inextricably linked, as Residential School students were frequently transferred to Indian hospitals and vice versa, often without parental consultation.