Mount Taranaki New Zealand

First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is
First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is

Taranaki Maunga, or Mount Taranaki, has peaked to sentience—at least in a legal sense. New Zealand’s Parliament has granted the sacred mountain legal personhood, recognizing its cultural and spiritual importance to the Taranaki Māori. This decision, finalized on January 31, 2025, means the mountain will be represented in legal matters, ensuring its formal protection. The move elevates the ancestral mountain from geographical feature to living entity in the eyes of the law.

The legislation establishes Te Kāhui Tupua, a legal entity that encompasses Taranaki Maunga and its surrounding peaks, reflecting both their physical presence and spiritual significance. A governance board, split between four representatives from local Māori iwi and four appointees from the Conservation Minister, will act as the mountain’s voice. Their role is to safeguard its health and well-being, ensuring that decisions align with Māori values and environmental conservation efforts.

This decision is part of a broader effort to address historical injustices. During the 19th century, the Crown confiscated Taranaki Maunga from Māori communities as part of British colonization. Recognizing the mountain as a legal entity is seen as a step toward reconciliation.

Alongside this recognition, the Crown has issued an official apology and financial redress to the Taranaki iwi. The law also formally retires the colonial-era name “Mount Egmont” to reinforce the mountain’s indigenous identity.

New Zealand has taken similar steps before, granting legal personhood to the Whanganui River in 2017 and Te Urewera forest in 2014. Such authorizations reaffirm the deep connection between land and cultural identity. Giving natural landmarks the right to stand up in court reflects a growing integration of Māori perspectives into legal and environmental policies, treating them not as commodities but as ancestors deserving of care and respect.

Before a man studies Zen, to him mountains are mountains and waters are waters; after he gets an insight into the truth of Zen through the instruction of a good master, mountains to him are not mountains and waters are not waters; but after this when he really attains to the abode of rest, mountains are once more mountains and waters are waters.