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A River Was Just Granted the Same Legal Rights as a Human Being
In a world-first, New Zealand’s third largest river has just been granted the same legal rights as a human being.
The new legislation essentially combines Western legal precedent with Maori mysticism. According to the Maori —a tribe of the Whanganui in the North Island who has been fighting to assert their rights over the river since the 1870s —their efforts to protect the river stems from the deep spiritual connection of the tribe to nature.
...Given the river’s new status, this basically means that should someone abuse or harm the river, it will by law be recognized as an attack against the tribe.
“The reason we have taken this approach is because we consider the river an ancestor and always have. We have fought to find an approximation in law so that all others can understand that from our perspective treating the river as a living entity is the correct way to approach it, as in indivisible whole, instead of the traditional model for the last 100 years of treating it from a perspective of ownership and management,” Gerrard Albert, the lead negotiator for the Whanganui iwi tribe, told The Guardian.
...Given the river’s new status, this basically means that should someone abuse or harm the river, it will by law be recognized as an attack against the tribe.
originally posted by: TheConstruKctionofLight
a reply to: soficrow
Great...my car is used for locomotion as well. Can it be now considered a person? I'll then be able to really take on the 9 out 10 mechanics who don't look after her.
originally posted by: TheConstruKctionofLight
a reply to: soficrow
Great...my car is used for locomotion as well. Can it be now considered a person? I'll then be able to really take on the 9 out 10 mechanics who don't look after her.