New Zealand mountain gets same legal rights as a person

New Zealand mountain gets same legal rights as a person

New Zealand has officially recognized Taranaki Maunga (Mt Taranaki) as a legal entity, granting it the same rights as a person under a landmark settlement that aims to address historical injustices against Māori communities. The Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill, passed by Parliament on Thursday, marks the culmination of years of negotiations between the government and eight Taranaki iwi (tribes), acknowledging the deep cultural and spiritual significance of the mountain.

Under the new law, Taranaki Maunga will effectively own itself, with representatives from local Māori iwi and the government jointly managing the sacred site. This move aligns with the Māori worldview that natural features, such as mountains and rivers, are living ancestors rather than mere landscapes. The settlement also officially restores the mountain’s Māori name, removing the colonial-era designation of “Egmont,” which was given by British explorer James Cook in the 18th century. Additionally, the surrounding national park will be renamed in accordance with Māori traditions.

Māori leaders and community members gathered at Parliament to witness the passing of the bill, celebrating it as a victory for indigenous rights and environmental stewardship. Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, co-leader of the Māori Party and a member of one of the Taranaki iwi, described the moment as one of liberation. “Today, Taranaki, our maunga, our maunga tupuna [ancestral mountain], is released from the shackles the shackles of injustice, of ignorance, of hate,” she said.

The settlement is part of an ongoing effort by the New Zealand government to compensate Māori for the historic breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi, which established New Zealand as a nation and promised indigenous people rights to their land and resources. As part of this redress, the government has formally apologized for the confiscation of Mt Taranaki and over a million acres of surrounding land in the 1860s.

Paul Goldsmith, the minister responsible for the negotiations, acknowledged the lasting impact of colonization on the Taranaki people. “Breaches of the Treaty mean that immense and compounding harm has been inflicted upon the whānau [families], hapū [sub-tribes], and iwi of Taranaki, causing immeasurable suffering over many decades,” he said.

Goldsmith also emphasized that public access to the mountain would remain unchanged, reassuring New Zealanders that they could continue to visit and enjoy Taranaki Maunga for generations to come.

For Māori in the region, the recognition of Taranaki Maunga as a legal entity represents more than just a political or legal victory it is a reaffirmation of their cultural identity. Aisha Campbell, a member of a Taranaki iwi, described the moment as deeply personal. “The mountain is what connects us and what binds us together as a people,” she told local media.

Taranaki Maunga is not the first natural feature in New Zealand to be granted legal personhood. The Urewera forest was granted the status in 2014, followed by the Whanganui River in 2017. These legal shifts reflect a growing movement toward recognizing indigenous perspectives on nature and land, reinforcing the idea that landscapes are not just resources to be exploited but living entities with intrinsic value and rights.

The passing of the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill marks a new chapter in New Zealand’s ongoing reconciliation process, offering a model for how legal frameworks can incorporate indigenous values and environmental protection.