Semi-structured questions for members of the Council of Chiefs
Who came up with the idea of Family Tree? When did it emerge?Prompts:
Could you please explain the whole intention of family tree? What are the strengths?
What are the weaknesses?
How will those weaknesses be strengthened?
Would you comment on gender involvement in the family tree process? How would the family tree documents and certificates be filed and by who?
In what ways do you consider land issues to contribute to unsustainable rural development in the To’obaita region?Prompts:
What in your opinion, should be done (in terms of land) in order for development activities be productive and sustainable in our communities?
Will you comment on gender participation in land issues and our development initiatives? How can we improve the ‘well-being for all’ through the family tree approach?
Semi-structured questions for church leaders
In your opinion, why have development projects not been sustainable in our rural communities? Prompt:What will you suggest with respect land in order to allow development initiatives to progress in our rural communities?
What in your opinion causes customary land dispute? Prompt:Are there any better processes to smoothly clarify customary landownership?
Would you please explain the roles of the family tree approach with respect to resolving customary land dispute?
Prompts:
What are the weak points of the family tree approach? How will those weak areas be strengthened?
Would you explain any immoral aspects you feel are associated with the family tree approach? What are your suggestions to make it better?
What are some positive aspects?
Could you please comment on the issue of gender equity in the family tree process? Prompts:What is your perspective with respect to gender distribution of benefits for the use of tribal resources?
Would you please comment on how to improve on that if there are weaknesses in this area?
Sample semi-structured questions for the tribal members
Could you please describe your connection to the main tribe and how it relates to land? Prompts:Does your genealogy provide you with access to land satisfactorily?
What is your opinion about your current tribal chief with respect to the indigenous knowledge expected of him?
What are the supports he needs to be able to withstand disputes should there be one from another tribe?
What are the causes of land dispute? Prompts:Can you elaborate on the impacts of land dispute on you or your other tribal members? What types of land dispute did you experience on your land and how were they resolved?
Please explain to me your understanding of the family tree approach?
What is your opinion about the ‘family tree approach’ as a process of clarification of tribal land ownership and dispute reduction/resolution in To’obaita?Prompts:
What in your opinion are the weaknesses of the family tree approach? How would those weaknesses be strengthened to achieve its goals?
Any suggestions/comments you would like to make to improve the processes/procedures? What do you see as the positive aspects?
Why is it important that ‘family tree’ has to go through the three main phases? Prompt:Why were the other tribal groups gone ahead of the others in their family tree processes?
How did you feel when you involved in the family tree processes and why did you feel that way? In your opinion, why are the other tribes felt reluctant to begin their family tree processes? Why were many tribes so delayed to go on to phases two or three of the family tree process?
What are some positive things about registering customary land? Prompts:Why do many people think that the family tree approach can enable registration of customary land?
Do you think of a better word (name) to replace family tree?Semi-structured questions for Government Officials
Could you please comment on the influence of colonial powers on present land policies? Prompts:In your opinion, how has the government influenced policies regarding customary land? What other things could government do?
What in your opinion could the government do to address the issues of land disputes on customary land?Prompts:
What do you think causes customary land disputes?
What in your opinion are the impacts of land dispute on the well-being of the rural populace? What in your opinion could be done to remedy those impacts?
How effective do you think the Customary Land Local Court (CLLC) is? Prompts:What is your opinion about the CLLC?
What is the current process of land registration?
This research is a case study of the ‘Family Tree approach’ that is currently taking the North Malaita by storm. It is about genealogy tracing, land surveying, history telling, declaration, documentation and certification at the tribal level. Have you heard of it?Prompts:
Would you consider ‘family tree approach’ potential and amicable to reduce land dispute? Why? What are the problems you see in the family tree approach?
What would you suggest to overcome those problems?
If the problems associated with the family tree approach are overcome, what in your opinion could the government do to utilize it?
What is the current percentage of total land area owned by tribes and the percentage of land owned by the government?Semi-structured questions for the Local Court Judges and Clerks
What in your opinion are the causes of land dispute?Prompts:
Can you tell me about the successes of the Customary Land Local Court (CCLC) with respect to tribal land dispute?
What is your comment about land dispute and unsustainable rural development initiatives?
Any other factors do you think are responsible for unsustainable rural developments in our communities?
As you listened to ‘oral histories’ in the court proceedings, how accurate do you think are they? Prompts:What are the areas you see needs immediate addressing? How would those be addressed?
Could you please discuss your opinions on the issue of the ‘Family Tree Approach’ and land dispute?Prompts:
What are the weak points that you see in the family tree approach? How would those weak points be strengthened?
Could you please discuss the idea of integrating the ‘family tree approach’ with the CLLC? Prompts:What are the strengths? What are the weaknesses?
How would the weaknesses be strengthened?
What is your opinion about the family tree issues of documentation and certification of genealogies, shrines, boundaries and tales, with the legislative issues of customary land registration?Prompt:
What in your opinion is responsible for the lack of customary land registration?
Semi-structured questions for Lawyers
Why is it difficult to register customary land? Prompts:What are the lawful procedures?
Would documenting the oral histories important to the legislation? Why?
Have you heard of the ‘family tree approach’ that is underway in North Malaita? Prompts:How could documenting genealogies help with land registration?
If customary land ownership is clear through the family tree approach, would those lands be registered if the landowners want to?
Do you see the family tree approach as a door way for registration of customary land?
What other suggestions would you like to make to incorporate the family tree approach with the current legislation?Prompt:
Why is the Solomon Islands government so reluctant to initiate customary land policies that suit the needs of the current society?
Semi-structured questions for women’s group leaders
What is your opinion about the extent of women’s involvement in the family tree process?Prompts:
What are the likely benefits that women and children will get from any development activities on your tribal land?
What are the options to balance benefits between genders and youths? What roles do you think women should play in the family tree process?
What are your concerns regarding land dispute? Prompts:What do you think causes land dispute?
How severe has land dispute impacted on your children’s livelihood and well-being? How will the family tree approach be able to reduce land disputes?
What are the weaknesses of the family tree approach? How will those weaknesses be strengthened?
What are your opinions on the feasibility of the family tree approach with respect to land registration?
Semi-structured interview questions for Tribal Chiefs
What in your opinion are the difficulties with tribal land registration? Prompts:Why do people want to register land?
What are the relationships between registration of customary land and sustainable rural development?
What are the causes of land dispute? Prompts:Why were rural development projects unsustainable on customary land?
Could you please explain your understanding of the family tree approach that is widely underway in our region?Prompts:
How would the family tree approach be utilized in the dilemmas of land ownership, land recording, land dispute, land registration and rural development activities?
What in your opinion are the weaknesses of the family tree process/approach? How will those weaknesses be strengthened?
What are some positive aspects?
Do you think the family tree approach can lead to land registration?
Would you please comment on why the other tribes have not started their family trees?
If the family tree approach is successful, how will every tribesmen and women benefit? Prompts:What is the size of your family tree now?
Besides subsistence production, what other benefits did you or your tribe reaps or planned to get from your land?
What percentage of your land do you think has been planted with crop trees as coconut and cocoa etc.?
Will all members of the tribe benefit equally? If not, why not? (gender equality).
Besides the ‘Family Tree Approach’, any other strategies you think may be helpful to reduce land disputes?