The Taranakivuori is an important place for its indigenous males that consider important natural targets as their ancestors.
12: 44 • Updated 13:10
The Taranakivuori in New Zealand is now a person in the eyes of the law.
The New Zealand Parliament unanimously decided to recognize the mountain and the surrounding land as a legal person. The decision gives the mountain all the same rights and responsibilities as for people.
Among other things, the law prevents the sale of the area and obliges the state to promote the protection of the mountain nature. People will continue to go to the mountain.
In practice, the Mountain’s issues are decided by a group consisting of four members of the Maori people and four persons appointed by the Nature Conservation Minister.
Taranakivuori is located on the northern Island of New Zealand. It is over 2,500 meters high for a dormant volcano that is a popular tourist destination.
The British evicted the Maori off the mountain
Traditional maori culture thinks that certain natural sites that are important to the people are their ancestors. For a change of law Jamie Tuuta tells For The Guardianthat the main goal of law change is to make people respect and treat the mountain well.
The law change also aims to compensate the suffering of colonization to the indigenous population of New Zealand.
New Zealand was a colonial of Great Britain from the 19th century to the 1930s. In the 1860s, the British took over Taranakivuori and evicted the Maori population that lived there.
The British also gave a new name to the mountain: in 1770 explorer James cook Your name Mount Mount Egmont according to the British Count. The name remained in use until the 2020s.
The new legislation recognizes the position of the mountain as an important area. The law change also includes an apology from Britain.
Taranaki is the third natural destination recognized as a person in New Zealand. The forest area called TE Urewera was recognized as a person in 2014 and the Whanganuijoki River in 2017.
Sources: The Guardian, CNN and AP