Alternative Name

Also known as Mount Egmont, located in Egmont National Park, North Island, New Zealand.

Legal Status

Recognized as Te Kāhui Tupua, a living entity with legal rights and responsibilities.

Geographical Features

A stratovolcano, standing 2,518 meters (8,261 feet) tall, with a symmetrical volcanic cone, formed by the subduction of the Pacific Plate under the Australian Plate.

Governing Body

A joint management body comprising local Māori iwi (tribes) and government appointed members will oversee the mountain’s conservation and decision-making.

Cultural Significance

Considered a sacred ancestor by the Māori people playing a central role in their identity and traditions.

Historical Context

Māori lands including Mount Taranaki were confiscated during British colonization. The Treaty of Waitangi (1840), intended to protect Māori rights, was often breached.

Environmental Impact

Legal status ensures protection from land sales, exploitation and environmental degradation. Focuses on traditional Māori conservation practices and preservation of native flora and fauna.

Precedents in NZ

New Zealand previously granted legal personhood to:
Te Urewera Forest (2014)
Whanganui River (2017)

Global Significance

Part of a growing movement to grant natural entities legal rights, seen in cases like the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in India (2017) and Colombia’s Amazon rainforest (2018).

Legislative Process

The New Zealand Parliament passed the bill unanimously showing strong national support for Indigenous rights and environmental conservation.

Symbolic Importance

The decision was celebrated with traditional Māori songs marking a moment of cultural unity and reconciliation.

Future Outlook

Strengthens Māori land rights, promotes sustainable conservation, and could set a precedent for more natural sites worldwide to receive similar legal status.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Which of the following statements about Mount Taranaki’s legal recognition is correct?:

1. Mount Taranaki was the first natural entity in New Zealand to receive legal personhood.
2. The mountain is now recognized as Te Kāhui Tupua, a living entity with legal rights.
3. The law allows commercial exploitation of Mount Taranaki under government supervision.
4.  The Treaty of Waitangi (1840) ensured permanent protection of Māori land rights.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 4 only

Answer: (b)

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect

Mount Taranaki is the third natural entity in New Zealand to receive legal personhood, after Te Urewera Forest (2014) and Whanganui River (2017).

Statement 2 is Correct

The New Zealand Parliament officially recognized Mount Taranaki as Te Kāhui Tupua, granting it legal personhood with rights and responsibilities.

Statement 3 is incorrect

The legal status protects the mountain from commercial exploitation, ensuring conservation and sustainable management.

Statement 4 is incorrect

The Treaty of Waitangi (1840) was intended to protect Māori rights, but it was frequently violated, leading to land confiscations, including that of Mount Taranaki.