WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A significant legislation was enacted on Thursday, recognizing Mount Taranaki, known in M?ori as Taranaki Maunga, as a legal person. This new law bestows upon the mountain the same rights and responsibilities as a human being.
Mount Taranaki, a stunning dormant volcano reaching 2,518 meters (8,261 feet) and popular for tourism, hiking, and winter sports, is the latest natural landmark in New Zealand to receive this distinctive status. Previously, both a river and a piece of sacred land have been granted personhood, highlighting New Zealand’s unique approach to the rights of the environment.
The legal designation seeks to acknowledge and address the historical injustices suffered by the M?ori people of the Taranaki region following the colonization of New Zealand. This act of recognition serves as a step towards reconciling the past wrongs committed against the land and its Indigenous people.
The new legislation provides Taranaki Maunga with a legal personality named Te K?hui Tupua, which is perceived as a holistic living entity. This entity encompasses not just the mountain itself, but also the surrounding peaks and land, incorporating both their physical attributes and cultural significance.
To represent the mountain, a newly established organization will act as its “face and voice.” This entity will consist of four members from local M?ori tribes and four appointed by New Zealand’s Conservation Minister, ensuring that local voices are involved in decisions pertaining to the mountain.
Recognizing the mountain’s profound cultural importance, Paul Goldsmith, the legislator behind the settlement agreements between the government and M?ori tribes, spoke in Parliament about the mountain’s role as an honored ancestor and a source of physical and spiritual sustenance.
Historically, the colonizers referred to the mountain by the name Mount Egmont after British explorer Captain James Cook first spotted it in 1770. The signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 was meant to safeguard M?ori rights to their land and resources; however, discrepancies between the M?ori and English versions of the treaty led to immediate breaches of this agreement by the Crown.
In 1865, a large portion of Taranaki land was confiscated as punishment for M?ori resistance to British rule, leading to decades where M?ori had no say in the management of the mountain while hunting and recreational groups voiced their concerns. Goldsmith noted that traditional M?ori rites associated with the mountain were prohibited while tourism flourished. However, a resurgence in M?ori rights and recognition emerged from the protest movements of the 1970s and 1980s, culminating in billions of dollars in settlements, including a recent agreement with eight Taranaki tribes in 2023.
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, co-leader of Te P?ti M?ori and a descendant of Taranaki tribes, expressed her pride in the mountain’s new rights. She emphasized that the connection between the tribes and the mountain remains unbroken despite past injustices.
The legal rights granted to Taranaki are aimed at ensuring its health and wellness, preventing unwanted exploitation, restoring traditional practices, and promoting conservation efforts for local wildlife. Public access to the mountain will continue to be allowed.
New Zealand has taken a pioneering stance in recognizing natural features as legal entities; it was the first country to enact such laws starting with Te Urewera forest in 2014, wherein tribal guardianship was established. Following that, the Whanganui River was recognized as a legal person in 2017 through an agreement with the local iwi.
The bill affirming Mount Taranaki’s personhood received unanimous support from 123 lawmakers in Parliament, met with enthusiasm from the community, including the singing of a waiata (traditional M?ori song) by supporters who traveled from Taranaki to witness this momentous occasion in Wellington. The event provided a unified moment amidst ongoing tensions regarding race relations in New Zealand, particularly following protests against a proposed law that could redefine the Treaty of Waitangi and potentially undermine M?ori rights.
