The Red Book
The Red Book — ‘Ka tika ā muri, ka tika ā mua — Healing the past, building a future’ — is a guide to Treaty of Waitangi claims and negotiations with the Crown.
On this page:
Red Book - Digital sections
The Red Book was last republished in its entirety in 2018. Four updates to sections have been made since. In 2025 we updated the negotiating with large natural groups and mandating sections, and in 2021 and 2023 we updated the overlapping interests section. The updated sections are now available both online and in the PDF. The updated sections better reflect current Crown policy and practice in these areas.
The section relating to Progress with Treaty settlements so far and section About Te Tari Whakatau have also been updated in the 2025 edition, available as a PDF.
You can download the updated August 2025 edition PDF version. It includes all updated information.
The Red Book [PDF, 21 MB] – ‘Ka tika ā muri, ka tika ā mua — Healing the past, building a future’, updated August 2025
Introduction to the Red Book
For many years ‘Ka tika ā muri, ka tika ā mua— Healing the past, building a future — A Guide to Treaty of Waitangi Claims and Negotiations with the Crown’ has been a reference point for both claimant groups and Crown officials involved in historical Treaty of Waitangi settlement negotiations. Over time, it has become known as the ‘Red Book’.
The Red Book was first published by The Office of Treaty Settlements in 1999. It has been updated several times to reflect practical developments in the negotiations process, Cabinet decisions and Waitangi Tribunal recommendations. The Red Book was most recently republished in August 2025.
The Office for Treaty Settlements and Takutai Moana – Te Tari Whakatau are pleased to present the Red Book 2025 edition [PDF, 21 MB], updated August.
Red Book Edition, updated in August 2025
You can download a PDF of the Red Book. It includes:
- an updated cover and some internal pages to reflect the name change to Te Tari Whakatau
- original sections from the Red Book 2018 edition
- an update to the section: 'Progress with Treaty settlements so far' and the section 'About Te Tari Whakatau'
- the overlapping interests' section (updated 2021 and 2023)
- the negotiations with large natural groups and mandating sections (updated 2025)
Red Book online
The sections updated in 2021, 2023 and 2025 are available online. This allows for better links to relevant documents and information. You can read the following sections on this website.