Summary
In November of 2002, the Navajo Nation adopted a Navajo Nation Code, which outlines the various rights and laws of the nation. The code included a provision recognizing that “All creation, from Mother Earth and Father Sky to the animals, those who live in water, those who fly and plant life have their own laws and have rights and freedoms to exist.”
This is the first known codification of the Rights of Nature (RoN) in a legal context — a historical contribution that has been missed or under-appreciated in much RoN literature. The Fundamental Laws, which outlines different rights and laws of the Navajo Nation and its people, codifies the Diné Life Way. Diné, translating to “The People,” is the traditional name the Navajo people use to identify themselves. The Fundamental Laws addresses a myriad of priorities of the Navajo People and turns ancient, unwritten Navajo philosophy and laws into a more recognized form of law (at least a recognized form by Western standards). The Fundamental Laws also mentions different types of laws: natural law, customary law, common law, and traditional law.
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon, Alex Putzer & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2026. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/navajo-nation-code/.
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