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 →
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.
First Nations and Tribes Treaty: Grizzly Bear Protection
In September 2016, First Nations and Tribes across North America signed a cross-boarder Indigenous Treaty to protect the sacred Grizzly Bear.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 →
North Carolina State (USA) Law: rights of the Dan River ecosystem
May 1, 2024, a bill was introduced in North Carolina’s state legislature to grant legal rights to the Dan River, including the right to be free from pollution.Read More →
Minnesota (USA) State Resolution: rights of manoomin
On April 4, 2024, a resolution was introduced in Minnesota state legislature to recognize the inherent rights of Manoomin/Psíŋ (Wild Rice).Read More →
Hawaii State (USA) Law: rights and legal personhood of watersheds
In January 2024, Hawaii introduced a bill to recognize legal personhood and rights of watersheds, in reflection of native Hawaiian traditional beliefs.Read More →
Grant Township (USA) Home Rule Charter 2015
Grant Township's Home Rule charter declares that all residents, natural communities and ecosystems in the town "possess the right to clean air, water, and soil"Read More →
Quebec (Canada) Law: rights of the Saint Lawrence River
On May 5, 2022, a bill was introduced in the National Assembly of Quebec to recognize the rights and special legal status of the Saint Lawrence River.Read More →