New Zealand grants personhood to mountain ancestral to First Peoples

New Zealand's government has recognized Taranaki Maunga — a sacred mountain to the Indigenous Māori people—as a legal person, granting it the same rights and responsibilities as a human being. This law aims to redress historical injustices, acknowledging the theft of Māori land during the island's colonization.

As a legal person, Taranaki Maunga has rights, powers, and responsibilities, just like a human being. According to the AP agency, an eight-member governing body will act as its “face and voice”, made up of four members of the Māori tribes together with four members appointed by New Zealand’s Conservation Minister.

This is not the first instance of this nature in New Zealand. The island was the first country to recognize natural features as legal persons, starting with Te Urewera Forest in 2014. This approach has inspired other nations to explore similar legal protections for rivers, forests, and mountains.

This model ensures that Māori have a direct role in managing their sacred mountain, marking a significant shift in Indigenous rights and environmental stewardship.

For the Māori of the Taranaki region, the mountain has always been an honored ancestor, providing spiritual, cultural, and physical sustenance. Taranaki Maunga, a snow-capped dormant volcano rising 2,518 meters on the North Island, is a popular destination for hiking, snow sports, and tourism. 

The history of the mountain is entwined with that of the island's founding. British explorer Captain James Cook renamed the mountain Mount Egmont in 1770, erasing its Indigenous identity. In 1840, Māori leaders signed the Treaty of Waitangi with the British Crown, regarded as New Zealand’s founding document. It was supposed to guarantee the First Peoples rights over their land and resources, yet in 1865, a vast swathe of Taranaki land, including the mountain, was confiscated to punish Māori for rebeling against the Crown. For over a century, hunting and sports groups influenced the mountain’s management, while Māori had no control over their ancestral land.

The new law corrects this injustice by legally recognizing Taranaki Maunga’s personhood under the name Te Kāhui Tupua, defined as “a living and indivisible whole.” This status applies to the mountain, its surrounding peaks, and the land, encompassing both its physical and metaphysical elements.

By granting personhood to Taranaki Maunga, New Zealand continues to set a global example for how Indigenous spiritual and environmental values can shape modern legal systems.

By Nazrin Sadigova