What's the longest a person has ever lived Daliah?
I've seen reports ranging from 116 to 146... but more recently, the oldest living person has dwarfed those estimates by centuries.
How?
It's part of a growing movement, where indigenous communities around the globe are granting rivers 'legal person status'.
From the Amazon river in Brazil to the Magpie in Quebec, Canada, indigenous beliefs of the living and equal attributes of nature are being presented in way that western law can understand - like a corporation or any other independent, legal entity.
"Where there is water, there is life. It moves around the Earth like a great river that flows and continues its eternal cycle to sustain life." (Uapukun Mestokosho-McKenzie, author and innu activist)
Most recently, the St. Lawrence River (Canada's second largest, and a massive shipping hub that flows from just east of Toronto, past Montreal to the Atlantic) has been granted legal rights by the the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL).
How this translates into legal protection is still being tested, but so far 'legal person status' has prevented mining in Equador and in Florida, there is a lake - Mary Jane - suing for her right to be protected from development:
"In an effort to protect herself, Mary Jane is suing. The lake has filed a case in Florida state court, together with Lake Hart, the Crosby Island Marsh, and two boggy streams. According to legal papers submitted in February, the development would “adversely impact the lakes and marsh who are parties to this action,” causing injuries that are “concrete, distinct, and palpable.” (The New Yorker)
And just last week my friends and I met on the Madawaska river in eastern Ontario to introduce our kids to l'eau vive' (living water / rapids) as some French Canadians may say, and the calming effect that river had on my 6 & 8 year old, made me hope we continue to explore these entities as 'persons' because I promise you, they definitely have personalities.
Last week my friends and I met on the Madawaska river in eastern Ontario to introduce our kids to l'eau vive' (living water / rapids) as some French Canadians may say, and the calming effect that river had on my 6 & 8 year old, made me hope we continue to explore these entities as 'persons' because I promise you, they definitely have personalities.
Thanks always for reading and learning with me, and if you'd like to make a small change today, come visit our shop!
