New Zealand passed a landmark law granting Mount Taranaki the status of a legal person, in a move that recognizes its cultural significance to Māori iwi (people) as a sacred ancestor on Thursday.

This decision comes as part of ongoing treaty settlement proceedings with Māori communities, furthering a broader trend in New Zealand’s legal landscape where natural features are given rights and protections typically reserved for human beings. The new legislation acknowledges the profound relationship between the Māori and their ancestral land, offering Mt Taranaki the same rights and responsibilities under the law as an individual.

In a quote given to the New Zealand Herald, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith stated the settlement was a testament to the “immeasurable harm” of the past. Since the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, the Crown’s actions have produced significant resentment among Taranaki’s iwi. Following the arrival of European settlers in the early 1840s, the Crown began purchasing land in Taranaki. Māori became concerned when the Crown acquired land from individuals or groups, generally without the approval or knowledge of major leaders or the community.

Te Pāti Māori (The Māori Party) co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer spoke about the victory in her speech to Parliament, stating “Today Taranaki is freed from the shackles, is freed from the shackles of muru raupatu (confiscation)”.

This move marks a profound shift in how the law interacts with the natural world. By granting Mt Taranaki legal personhood, the law now recognizes the mountain as capable of holding rights and being the subject of legal duties. This could set a precedent for other natural landmarks in New Zealand and beyond, challenging conventional legal doctrines that have historically viewed nature as property rather than a living, sacred entity deserving of legal standing.