New Zealand Maori Leader Proposes Legal Personhood for Whales: Reports

According to a report from Anadolu News Agency, sourced from the Teao News website on Thursday, the leader of New Zealand’s Indigenous Maori community has advocated for granting legal personhood to whales.

Kiingi Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII made the statement subsequent to signing ‘He Whakaputanga Moana’, also known as the Declaration for the Ocean, alongside an indigenous chief from neighboring Cook Islands on Thursday.

“He Whakaputanga Moana (declaration) is not merely words on paper. It’s a Hinemoana Halo, a woven cloak of protection for our taonga (treasured possession) our treasures – the magnificent whales,” the Maori King said.

This development coincides with the ‘Hinemoana Halo Ocean Initiative’, which aims to establish an ocean protection fund for whales, as reported by the Anadolu News Agency.

The king described the Declaration for the Ocean as a “pledge for future generations,” emphasizing that their descendants should inherit an ocean where the presence of whales remains significant.

“Our mokopuna (descendants) deserve to inherit an ocean teeming with life, where the songs of whales continue to resonate across the vast expanse,” he added.

Aperahama Edwards, a key driver of the initiative, expressed that the fund will enable indigenous communities to safeguard their cherished assets.

“This fund will empower Indigenous communities, the natural guardians of our shores, and support initiatives aligned with the declaration’s goals. Together, we can create a Hinemoana Halo, a woven cloak of protection for these taonga (treasures), our whales,” Edwards said.

According to Anadolu, New Zealand, inhabited by close to a million Maori individuals, has previously enacted legislation to confer legal status upon rivers and mountains, recognized as significant to the indigenous population.