Summary
At its meeting in Anchorage on June 28, 2022, the General Assembly of the National Congress of American Indians—the oldest and largest national organization of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments—adopted resolution titled “Supporting the Rights of Nature” [Resolution #ANC-22-008]. The resolution states:
“Indigenous peoples have always recognized Mother Earth as a relative and provider that we must respect and protect” (1)
“our authority and ability as Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples to protect the natural environment is essential to our inherent sovereignty and self-determination” (1)
“a growing number of Tribal Nations…have advanced and adopted laws and policies which recognize that nature, including species and
ecosystems, is a living entity with inherent rights, including rights to exist, flourish, regenerate, evolve, and restoration.” (2)
“BE IT RESOLVED, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) supports the rights of nature legal framework and the efforts of Tribal Nations to recognize and enforce these rights within tribal law and governance” (2)