This 120,000-Year-Old Volcano in New Zealand Is Now Granted the Same Rights as a Human Being

The next time you visit Mount Taranaki in New Zealand, know that it's hailed as so sacred that it is now regarded as a "person." According to a report by The Guardian, Taranaki has now been granted the status of “a person,” according to which it has the same rights as a human being. After all these centuries of sitting here dormant, silent, detached, and neglected, Taranaki has finally been recognized for what it is. Centuries ago, its story started with a love triangle.

A mountaneous love triangle 

It has been sitting there, on the Northern tip of New Zealand, towering and looming high in the sky. You may not notice it at first, for it remains shrouded in milky mist and dense cloak of ashy haze throughout the day. It has been sitting here for the past 120,000 years, not showing any signs of agitation. Yet deep within it unfolds a furious mix of fire and lava, which becomes apparent on the surface sometimes as it spews volcanic bursts inside the Ring of Fire. It was way back in 1775 when it last exploded, after losing a battle in a love triangle, per AWAYinNZ. The heartbreak jolted it into high aggression, so much so that it moved to the western corner for exile, carving a river along the way.

Creepy goblin guardians

Hailed as the second-highest mountain on New Zealand’s North Island, the impressive Taranaki is one of the most climbed mountains of the country, and the most decorated stratovolcano in the region. Engulfing it, the gnarling, and twisting “goblin trees” act as its guardians, repelling humans with their creepy, frightening appearance.

Honor of 'personhood' 

In 2017, a promise was made by the New Zealand government according to which it granted Taranaki the "same legal rights as a person" due to its sacred status among local Māori tribes, who consider the volcano to be an ancestor and a family member. Hundreds of people travelled long distances to gather at the bill passing ceremony. They sang songs as Taranaki was honored with the new status. Taranaki was finally being freed from the shackles of injustice and trappings of hatred and ignorance.

James Tuuta, chief negotiator for Taranaki, shared with The Guardian that there were mixed feelings in the air. “After generations of hope being discarded and effort from those who are no longer with us… it is a sad time, but it is also a day that we can come together as iwi of Taranaki to celebrate because it is one of the most significant steps in our history – not only for our mounga, but for the people of Taranaki, the region, and the nation,” he described.

A representative from NASA’s Earth Observatory added, “The status is an acknowledgment of the Indigenous Māori people's relationship to the mountain and means that harming the mountain has the same legal implications as harming the tribe.” The mountain will no longer be known as “Egmont,” the name given to it by the British explorer James Cook in the 18th Century. Instead, it will continue to remain “Taranaki,” a portmanteau of the words tara, implying a “mountain,” and naki, implying “glistening,” referring to its glistening white snow-capped peak.

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