New Zealand just handed a mountain the legal equivalent of a birth certificate. Taranaki Maunga — the snow-capped stratovolcano formerly known as Mount Egmont — is now a legal person. And American commentator Bill Mayer among others had his view on what this all means.
The ‘human rights mountain move’ is the culmination of a nine-year negotiation to address colonial-era land grabs, and it’s got teeth and it has aroused understandable interest – and shots of humor – from media around the world, ranging from the BBC, to NBC and – via Bill Mayer –
Under the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill, the mountain “owns itself” through a co-governance model. Local Māori iwi and the Crown will jointly manage it via Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi, a council with equal reps from both sides. Think of it as a corporate board, except instead of maximizing shareholder value, they’re tasked with keeping a 2,500-meter-tall ancestor from getting sued (or suing someone, hypothetically).
The full Maher clip can be seen here.
