Whales

[ad_1] In a groundbreaking declaration earlier this month, Indigenous leaders of New Zealand and the Cook Islands signed a treaty, He Whakaputanga Moana, to recognise whales as legal persons. Image for Representation. | Photo Credit: AP In a groundbreaking declaration earlier this month, Indigenous leaders of New Zealand and the Cook Islands signed a treaty, He Whakaputanga Moana, to recognise whales as legal persons. Aotearoa New Zealand has already granted legal…

[ad_1] For many indigenous groups across Polynesia, whales hold an ancient sacredness and spirit that connects all life. Whales – or tohora, as Maori call them – guided their ancestors across the Pacific Ocean. Today, those groups consider themselves to be guardians for the largest animals under the sea. But as of Wednesday, whales are not simply animals in this region.Indigenous leaders of New Zealand, Tahiti and the Cook…