A New Zealand mountain has been granted legal rights similar to those of a person.
This action came after years of negotiation. Mt. Taranaki, also known as Taranki Maunga, will now be treated as if it has ownership over itself.
As per BBC, the agreement is intended to provide compensation to the Māori people from the Taranaki region for the injustice they faced during colonization.
These wrongs include the large-scale confiscation of their land, which was taken from them during that period.
The management and protection of the mountain will be carried out collaboratively by the local tribes (iwi), the government and other representatives.
Paul Goldsmith, the government minister responsible for the negotiations, said in a statement, noting, "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 Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill has been passed by New Zealand’s parliament on Thursday.
The law grants the mountain a legal identity and also ensures protection for the surrounding peaks and land.
Additionally, the law acknowledges the Māori perspective that natural feathers such as mountains are not just physical landmarks but are considered ancestors and living beings.
Mt Taranaki is not first natural features in New Zealand to be granted legal personhood.
The Urewera native forest was the first to receive this recognization, followed by the Whanganui River.
