This ‘Sacred’ Volcano In New Zealand Has Equal Legal Rights As Humans; Know All About It – News18

Last Updated:November 21, 2024, 15:40 IST

In 2017, the New Zealand government granted the status of a “legal personality” to Mount Taranaki.

A volcano in New Zealand has all the rights a human does. Surprised? You read that right. A part of New Zealand’s widespread landscape – Mount Taranaki – has been granted the same legal rights as a person. Back in 2017, the country’s government made the historic decision by granting legal status to the volcano on the west coast of the North Island.

In acknowledgment of the local Māori tribes’ relationship to the ‘sacred’ mountain, who view it as their ancestor and family member, the government also shared guardship with them.

In simple terms, the new legal status means that anyone hurting, abusing, or harming the mountain will be the same as harming the tribe. Mount Taranaki, originally named Mount Egmont by British explorer James Cook in the 18th century, is a stratovolcano that stands at 8,261 feet (2,518 meters) above sea level, as per Live Science. Surrounding the mountain slopes is the Egmont National Park which shows a near-perfect ring of green spread across 12 miles. Also, surrounding the volcano summit is a section of trees known as the ‘Goblins’ Forest.’

Set to be nearly 120,000 years old, Mount Taranaki last erupted in 1775 and remains dormant to date, as per The Guardian.

At the time of granting the legal status to the mountain, then Minister For Treaty Negotiations, Andrew Little explained that the agreement offered the best possible protection for the landmark. “As a New Plymouth local I grew up under the gaze of the mountain so I’m particularly pleased with the respect accorded to local people and the legal protection and personality given to the mountain,” he said as quoted by the outlet.

Calling it a major milestone in acknowledging the grievances and hurt that the Taranaki iwi experienced in the past, he also asserted that the New Zealand government would apologise to local Māori. “Mount Taranaki provides that sense of place, social association, and identity,” he added.