The UBCIC Early Claims Process A springboard

“Records Follow Functions” Quote by Helene Samuels The Early Claims Procedure is a record of other records – its function is to document documents Know what events are pushing the procedure forward Events change! Just when you’ve worked out the best way to do something is probably when you need to start amending it

What pushes the early claims process?  An increasing number of claims  Reduced funding  Reduced staff  Increased workload for Minimum Standards requirements  Increasing difficulty with access to records  Lengthy response times for retrieval of ATIP and FOI records

Push creates a Need to… EEfficiently allocate limited resources MMaintain high standards MManage our time as efficiently as possible MMake sure all claims receive the same rigorous research and early review CCreate a clear corporate memory in case of staff turnover

Intake To Researcher RE Summary IDR EDR

Intake: Open and Meaningful communication  Initial contact  Contact First Nations Community and our own Legal Advisor  Start the written record  Feasibility report if necessary  BCR – mandate to research

Early Document Review (EDR) Common Ground for all BC Claims All claims require a basic Reserve Establishment history for foundational information EDR collects preliminary research Relevant to all RE histories in BC Work is tracked in a Research Plan

Order AANDC Files right about now, because you’ll be waiting a long time….

Just one more box….. Federal Records Centre, Burnaby. Storage facility for the Federal Government and LAC

For EDR We identify and record….

We search collections and record  Index of Indian Agencies – Paula Caird’s Finding Aid part 1  Reserve Schedules and NRCan Canada Lands Inventories  Department of Indian Affairs Annual Reports  Provincial Collection of Minutes of Decision, Correspondence and Sketches (J/IRC)  Federal Collection of MOD, Correspondence and Sketches  Final Report of the Royal Commission on Indian Affairs for the Province of BC (McKenna- McBride)  Testimony and Hearings of the Royal commission

Is reserve within the Railway Belt? Yes Record and find related IR Schedule No – Record & on to the next Do we have other research reports for this First Nation? Yes Find them! Order boxes from off site storage Search the database We answer questions….

Intermediate Document Review (IDR) - the next stage… RE Summary RAAD, BC Arch Library IDR Location, Names, Places, FN Profiles (EDR) IR Schedules & Annual Reports (EDR) EndNote DB entries IDR IR Commissions, MODs, Surveys & Field Books (EDR) Instruments IDR

For IDR We search and record  ILRS - The Indian Lands Registry System for legal instruments on the reserves  CLSS - Canada Lands Survey System for surveys, field books and map browser pertaining to the reserves  RAAD - Remote Access to Archaeological Data for Arch sites  BC Archaeological Library for Arch reports and articles  Enter all references into an EndNote Library High Bar Reserves – Archaeological Sites on RAAD

Together, the documents….

And the history….

Come together to make a Reserve Establishment Summary  Incorporate initial reserve establishment information into template  Creates a basic narrative which will be the backbone of claim  Summary to pass on to Legal advisor and First Nation  Good basis for researcher to work with  Research Assistant acquires skills