The Rights of the River: Water, Culture and Ecological Justice

Abstract

In response to pressure from Māori iwis (tribes), the New Zealand Government announced in 2017 that the Whanganui River had been granted the legal status of a living entity. This alternate cultural view has energised a lively international debate about of what constitutes ‘living kinds’ and ‘personhood’. This chapter asks whether non-human species, rivers and whole ecosystems should be considered in these terms. And, if so, should they have concomitant legal rights?.