Yurok Tribe (USA) Ordinance: rights of the Klamath River
In 2024, the Yurok Tribe approved a Tribal Ordinance establishing the Rights of the Heyhl-keek ‘We-roy (Klamath River), following an earlier Resolution in 2019.Read More →
North America
This page identifies ecological jurisprudence initiatives that exist in the United States, Canada, and Greenland. While we acknowledge that Mexico is geographically part of North America, we include Mexico in the Latin American category.
Rhode Island (USA) Resolution: rights of natural ecosystems
A resolution was approved in May 2023 by the Rhode Island House of Representatives to recognize the rights of natural communities and ecosystems.Read More →
Falmouth (USA) Resolution: rights of nature
On April 22, 2024, the Town of Falmouth in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, adopted a resolution recognizing the rights of nature.Read More →
Southern Chiefs’ Organization of Manitoba (Canada) court case: legal personhood for Lake Winnipeg
In 2024, the Southern Chiefs Organization initiated a Charter challenge in Manitoba, Canada seeking recognition of Lake Winnipeg as a living entity with rights.Read More →
Sault Tribe (USA) Resolution: Rights of Nature
The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in northern Michigan passed a resolution in defense of the tribe’s first family: its natural resources.Read More →
Everett (USA) Ordinance: rights of the Snohomish River
In November 2024, voters in Everett, Washington approved a ballot initiative that grants the Snohomish River legal rights to “exist, regenerate, and flourish”.Read More →
Rappahannock Tribe Constitution: rights of the Rappahannock River
On October 2024, the Rappahannock Tribe in Virginia became the first tribal nation in the U.S. to adopt a Tribal Constitution recognizing the rights of nature.Read More →
Black Mountain (USA) Ordinance: rights of the Swannanoa River
In 2024, residents of Black Mountain, North Carolina drafted a proposed amendment to the Town Charter to recognize the rights of the Swannanoa River.Read More →