Why some things just shouldn't be translated
In 2017, the Whanganui River was made a person in the eyes of the law. The Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act acknowledged, in its own way, that the human world includes other, more-than-human entities.
It was perceived at the time as quite a radical step for the law, and it is undoubtedly legally significant. But this profound interconnection which underpins all things has been self-evident for Māori and other indigenous peoples for millennia.
With all things in the world possessing one fundamental essence, any single object owes its existence to everything else. Within one object, everything else resides. The Te Awa Tupua Act took a conceptual step towards recognising this in law.
Link to article: The Conversation: Te reo Māori and tokenism - Why some things just shouldn't be translated - NZ Herald
