New Zealand: Where a mountain is a celebrity with human rights!

WELLINGTON: In a stunning legal manoeuvre that left many scratching their hands, New Zealand officially granted personhood to Mount Taranaki, now affectionately known as Taranaki Maunga.

The snow-capped, dormant volcano, standing tall at a 2,518 metres, has been recognised as a legal entity, complete with all the rights and responsibilities of a human being.

Read more: Japan’s sinkhole saga: Rescue efforts in chaos 

Yes, you read that right – a mountain has same rights as a human!

The latest development is part of a broader trend in the Oceanian country, where natural features are increasingly being treated as humans. Taranaki Maunga joins the ranks of the Whanganui River and the Te Uerwera forest, both of which have previously been granted similar status.

Apparently, the mountains and rivers of this small, picturesque country are now more legally empowered than some people in other countries.

The legal recognition of Taranaki Maunga is not just a light-hearted gesture; it acknowledges the historical injustices faced by the indigenous Maori people following colonisation of their land.

The mountain is revered as an ancestor by the Maori, and had its name and identity stripped away since British explorer Captain James Cook decided to rename it Mount Egmont back in 1770.

The mountain’s new legal status is seen as a step toward rectifying the wrongs of the past, including the confiscation of vast tracts of land from Maori tribes in the 1860s.

Under the newly passed ‘Taranaka Maunga Collective Redress’ bill, the mountain is now represented by a newly created entity, which will serve as its ‘face and voice’.

Read more: Nightmarish smile: Japanese scientists make robot with living skin

The entity will consist of four members from the local Maori ‘iwi’ and four appointed by the Conservation Minister. One can only imagine the board meetings where they discuss the mountain’s needs-perhaps a spa day for the slopes or a rejuvenating mud mask for the volcano rock?