New Zealand River Granted The Same Rights As A Person

Being a person has its perks, and international treaties and groups protect our rights as human beings. But how would you feel if our rights are shared by a non-person?

Don't make the mistake of doing something that may abuse the Whanganui River in New Zealand. Doing so may leave you facing with legal charges the same as harming a fellow human being. That is because after many years, the beatutiful Whanganui River has been recognized by the New Zealand government as a living entity, therefore it's now protected by the same rights as any human being.

Over 160 years were spent by the indigenous Whanganui Iwi people to achieve this result. Reports sat that the local tribe wept with joy when they heard the final verdict of this arduous, and yet highly irregular legal case.

The Whanganui River is the third largest river in New Zealand. The Whanganui Iwi is the local tribe that lives near the river, and they have long believed that the river is not just a source of water and food, but is actually their ancestor.

"The reason we have taken this approach is because we consider the river an ancestor and always have," said Gerrard Albert, a lead representative of the Iwi tribe. "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."

This case immediately spread in other parts of the world, and most people praised the New Zealand government for their verdict on the subject. The Whanganui Iwi believes that we are all part of the universe, and that the mountains and other forms of nature are one with us and we must all treat everything and everyone equally.

Two guardians were assigned to act in the river's interests. One will be appointed by the government, and the other will come from the indigenous community. Included in the settlement is an NZ$80m of financial redress for the river's benefit and legal status.