How claimants can prepare evidence

In historical district inquiries, the Tribunal would expect claimants to provide the following evidence:

  • a traditional history report
  • any surviving oral traditions about Crown actions
  • any surviving oral traditions about the impact of Crown actions, and the prejudicial effects on claimants
  • written historical reports about actions of the Crown, and the impact of those actions.

Evidence can take many different forms including written reports, written briefs of evidence, whakapapa charts, oral accounts of witnesses' own experiences, maps, collections of documents, photographs, powerpoint presentatations, site visits, whaikorero, waiata, haka and kōrero pūrākau. The most important thing is that it is directed to helping the Tribunal understand the claimant community and their claim issues. 

Claimants should work with their lawyer, with CFRT officials, and with Tribunal staff to determine what sort of evidence they will need to prepare to help the Tribunal make findings on their claims. If expertise from outside of the claimant community is required, for example in undertaking and recording oral history, or collecting and presenting written evidence from archives or from other written sources, any of these people should be able to provide advice.

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