In a landmark decision, New Zealand has granted Mount Taranaki, now officially known as Taranaki Maunga, the same legal rights as a human being, according to BBC. This recognition makes Taranaki Maunga the third natural feature in the country to be accorded individual status, after the Whanganui River and Te Urewera National Park. Indigenous people view Mount Taranaki-now known by its Maori name, Taranaki Maunga-as an ancestral entity.
According to BBC, it means Taranaki Maunga [Mt Taranaki] will effectively own itself, with representatives of the local tribes, iwi, and government working together to manage it. The agreement aims to compensate Maori from the Taranaki region for injustices done to them during colonisation – including widespread land confiscation.
“We must acknowledge the hurt that has been caused by past wrongs, so we can look to the future to support iwi to realise their own aspirations and opportunities,” Paul Goldsmith, the government minister responsible for the negotiations, said.
According to The Metro, the pristine, snow-capped dormant volcano is the second highest on New Zealand’s North Island at 8,261ft and a popular spot for tourism, hiking and snow sports.
It comes alongside a move to rename the mountain from Mt Egerton to its original Maori name of Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki (meaning the highly regarded and treasured lands of Taranaki), with the highest peak named Taranaki Maunga.
The newly-passed law gives Taranaki Maunga all the rights, powers, duties, responsibilities and liabilities of a person. Its legal personality has a name: Te Kahui Tupua, which the law views as ‘a living and indivisible whole’.