Indigenous Nations Extend Legal Personhood To The Colorado River
The Colorado River Indian Tribes took a key step in Indigenous environmental law by designating the Colorado River — the life source for millions across the Southwest — as a “living being” with legal rights under tribal law. The move, approved by the tribal council late last year, reflects both a cultural worldview and a strategic tool to protect dwindling water supplies amid prolonged drought and growing demand.
The resolution describes the river as an entity with inherent value and rights comparable to those of a person, a legal concept known as the rights of nature.