A Playboy model who stripped and posted a photograph of herself naked on social media while visiting a sacred volcano in New Zealand has been accused by local indigenous people of “disrespecting” the mountain.
Jaylene Cook, 25, (pictured) caused an outcry after taking the nude photograph in temperatures of just 12F near the top of Mount Taranaki and putting it on Instagram.
She said she and her photographer boyfriend were aware of the mountain’s significance before hiking up there and made sure they avoided its 8,300 ft summit.
Local Maori attach great importance to the mountain, situated on the North Island.
According to the New Zealand government website “The crater and summit is the sacred head of Taranaki, the rocks and ridge are his bones, rivers his blood and plants and trees are his cloak and offer protection from the weather… Respect the mountain.” Visitors are urged to avoid the rock at the top.
Dennis Ngawhare, a local Maori spokesman, said the community was offended by Ms Cook’s behaviour, explaining that he and his family did not climb the mountain because they regarded it as an ancestor.
“I accept people climb up to the summit, but what we do ask is that people be respectful,” he said. “I’d imagine you will be getting a few comments from people saying ‘what’s wrong with that? Who cares?’ But I also know cousins and relatives who will be quite upset about it. They would consider it as being disrespectful towards the mountain.”
But Miss Cook told stuff.co.uk: “[The photo] is not crude or explicit in any way. We made ourselves knowledgeable on the history of the mountain. We were quite respectful. Being nude is not something that is offensive in any way. It’s natural and pure and it’s about freedom and empowerment.”
Neil Holdom, the mayor of New Plymouth, a city near Mount Taranaki, said: “[People] should ask themselves how they would feel if someone took a photo of themselves naked, on the grave of a great grandparent.”
Featured image via Dave Young/Flickr & Jaylene Cook/Instagram
