Wait, what!?
Imagine walking past a mountain and saying, “Hey, buddy!”, because the guy is a ‘person’ now. Wild as it sounds, it is happening in New Zealand and the world is baffled! A majestic mountain peak is now giving a legal status as a ‘person’. So be prepared if the stone structure sues you soon.
Meet Mount Taranaki – a mountain that’s recently going viral all over the Internet. New Zealand government, for unknown reasons, has given this mountain all the legal Human Rights and declared it s ‘person’. This means that the mountain, as a person, can be protected under the law, have lawyers speaking for its rights, and even be represented in court. Shocked? Well, the government has given these rights to the mountain in collaboration with the Māori people.
The Māoris believe that everything in nature is a living, breathing being. They don’t look at the mountains, forests, and rivers as just a collection of landscapes but as a part of our existence. There is a belief system among the community that these landscapes have their ancestors’ spirits. Hence, they treat all of these with immense respect. In their eyes, nature is family. To honor this community, the New Zealand government has taken this step to set an example showing the world that even nature deserves more legal protection than mere environmental laws. But surprisingly, this is not the first case of ‘nature as a person’ in the country.
Did you know, that the Whanganui River in New Zealand is the first ever natural landscape in the country and the first river in the world to be legally recognized as a person? Well, there is a catch here. The recognition is that of a ‘person’ and not a ‘human’. So if you’re wondering whether Mount Taranaki would be given a driver’s licence or would vote in elections, that’s not the case. It will instead have its legal representatives that will protect its interests as appointed guardians. This will prevent any exploitation or harmful activities against the ‘person’.
So, what’s next? After mountains and rivers, will trees and even air be given legal human rights now? While this move might help pollution and deforestation, do you think it is practical enough?
