Abstract
Our lives are fleeting, especially when compared to the mountains and other enduring entities of the natural world. But the permeance of the mountains can no longer be assumed. Around the globe, a multiplicity of ecosystems face collapse due to human-induced climate change, which also threatens the lives and livelihoods of many communities.
These crises challenge the suitability of existing New Zealand environmental law. This dissertation considers what a tikanga-informed response to these challenges might involve. I propose that placing Papatūānuku (Mother Earth) at the heart of legal change is one way of doing this. To this end, I consider who Papatūānuku is within tikanga, and how she is currently represented in New Zealand law. I conclude with some remarks on the ways in which New Zealand law might evolve to better incorporate these principles in the future.