The Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill has passed its second and third readings in Parliament, marking a significant milestone in the fight for Māori land rights. The bill apologizes for the Crown’s confiscation of Taranaki Maunga and 1.2 million acres of Māori land in 1865.
As part of the settlement, Mt Egmont will cease to be an official geographic name, and its peak will be renamed Taranaki Maunga. The national park will become a legal person, owned by itself, but will be managed jointly by iwi representatives and the Crown through Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi.
The bill’s passage comes after years of negotiations with the government. Iwi leaders say it marks the end of a long journey, with many people having fought for recognition of their ancestral lands. The name Egmont is expected to be phased out, and a new name, Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki, will be used.
The bill’s lead negotiator, Jamie Tuuta, said legal personhood recognized in law what the people of Taranaki have always known: that their maunga are not resources but living beings. Iwi chief executive Wharehoka Wano believes that a new generation is now recognizing Taranaki as the rightful name for the ancestral mountain.
The bill’s passage is seen as a significant step towards co-governance and recognition of Māori land rights. It comes after years of petitions and negotiations, with many people who came before the current generation fighting to secure their ancestral lands.
Source: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/540431/taranaki-maunga-becomes-a-legal-person-as-treaty-settlement-passes-into-law