In brief
The new law formalizes the mountain's ownership and protects its environment while fostering Māori cultural connections.
New Zealand has officially granted legal personhood to Mt Taranaki, a revered mountain considered sacred by the local Māori tribes. This landmark decision reflects years of negotiations and is intended to compensate Māori for injustices they suffered during colonization, particularly regarding land confiscations. The Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill was passed by the New Zealand parliament on Thursday, allowing the mountain to effectively own itself while being managed by representatives from both iwi (tribes) and the government.Government Minister Paul Goldsmith emphasized the importance of recognizing past injustices, stating, "We must acknowledge the hurt that has been caused by past wrongs, so we can look to the future to support iwi to realize their own aspirations and opportunities." The bill not only gives a legal name to Taranaki Maunga but also ensures the preservation of its surrounding landscapes and acknowledges the Māori belief in natural entities as living beings.At the parliamentary celebration, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, co-leader of the Māori Party and a member of the local iwi, expressed her sentiments, saying, "Today, Taranaki, our maunga, our maunga tupuna, is released from the shackles of injustice, of ignorance, of hate." The mountain's renaming from Egmont, designated by British explorer James Cook, brings significant cultural importance to the indigenous people of the region.Aisha Campbell, representing another iwi from Taranaki, noted the gathering's significance, stating that the mountain acts as a unifying force for the community. This settlement marks another step in addressing grievances related to the Treaty of Waitangi, foundational in recognizing the rights of Māori over land and resources. The agreement also came with a government apology for the historical confiscation of Mt Taranaki and over a million acres of Māori land in the 1860s.Goldsmith acknowledged the "immense and compounding harm" resultant from these breaches, which have affected Taranaki's Māori families for decades. He reassured that public access to the mountain will remain unchanged, allowing New Zealanders to enjoy its beauty for generations.Mt Taranaki is the latest natural feature in New Zealand to be granted legal personhood. This trend began with the Urewera native forest in 2014, followed by the Whanganui River in 2017, highlighting a growing recognition of the need for environmental protection through legal frameworks.
