New Zealand's Taranaki Maunga: A Mountain's Legal Transformation
Taranaki Maunga, a sacred mountain in New Zealand, receives legal personhood, granting it rights and responsibilities like a human being. This move fulfills a redress agreement with the Maori people, acknowledging past injustices since colonization. The mountain's newfound status aims to protect its health and cultural significance.
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- Country:
- New Zealand
Taranaki Maunga, a revered mountain in New Zealand, has been legally acknowledged as a person. This groundbreaking decision allows it to possess rights and responsibilities just like a human being. The legal recognition is an effort to correct historical injustices suffered by Indigenous Maori communities due to colonization.
The legislation sees Taranaki Maunga as a 'living and indivisible whole', incorporating its physical and metaphysical elements. Rights granted include health protection, preservation of traditional practices, and conservation of the native wildlife. The move recognizes the mountain as a cultural and spiritual ancestor to Maori tribes.
The bill was passed unanimously in New Zealand's Parliament. This event marks another step in recognizing natural features as persons, a practice which began in 2014 with the recognition of Te Urewera forest. Such legal status is aimed at safeguarding the spiritual and cultural values of natural landmarks.
(With inputs from agencies.)