Rights of Nature: The Vision of the Younger Generation in the North Country

Imagine the St. Lawrence or the Raquette River suing a company that is polluting its waters and harming the health of the communities along its banks. While nature in the North Country of northern New York state (Haudenosaunee territory) does not possess legal rights of standing in court, Orange County, Florida passed a November 2020 ballot measure stating that waterways have the right to “exist, flow, be protected against pollution and maintain a healthy ecosystem.” In Orange County, the threatened waterways are already suing a company and the state that are planning to destroy over 63 acres of wetlands and more than 33 acres of streams, for residential and commercial development. Currently, community members in the North Country are working to recognize the Rights of Nature here, too.

A growing global movement

After centuries of colonialism and rampaging environmental and human exploitation, we reached a tipping point in the form of what we now know as the Climate Crisis. While most of the international community recognizes and has signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, over three dozen communities around the United States, as well as countries from Bangladesh to Colombia, are recognizing the “Rights of Nature.” These countries and communities are striving to protect what is most precious to them: the environments they call home.

Rights of Nature is the idea that the environment has the right to exist, flourish and regenerate itself, as well as the right to sue when its rights are violated. In 2008, Ecuador recognized Rights of Nature in its constitution, becoming the first country to do so. Years later, other natural entities have been given legal rights, from the Ganges River in India to the Whanganui River in Aotearoa (New Zealand). These legislative decisions and court actions stem from millennia of indigenous customary law. Currently, the concept of Rights of Nature points to a shift in the capitalist cultural understanding of nature, which has traditionally seen nature as a commodity to be exploited. The shift in perspective sees nature as our home, the entity that allows us to live.

Young people at the forefront

The younger generation is often framed as the “procrastinator.” We are the “kids” who only care about social media. Yet, in the face of the Climate Crisis, our generation is mobilizing to demand change. Here in the Haudenosaunee territory (the North Country), people of all ages believe in the ideas that the concept of Rights of Nature encompasses. We believe nature deserves further legal protection in the form of recognition as a living entity with legal standing. We want to preserve and prosper with our Mother Earth.

This is why young people from the St. Lawrence River watershed are working together to organize an international symposium which will take place on March 22, International Water Day. During the North Country Rights of Nature Symposium, community members will join to discuss how best to protect the region’s waterways.

We recognize that the world is constantly evolving. While we cannot and should not seek to stop this evolution, we can play a role in shaping what direction this change takes. We can be part of the shift that will either preserve our homes or else destroy land and livelihoods.

Overcoming a history of pollution

This region takes pride in its natural beauty, from the breathtaking Adirondacks to the multitude of rivers and lakes. Yet, what makes these places so special is not just their beauty. It’s the memories and legacy that nature carries, the connection to our roots. The Great Lakes region harbors most of the fresh-water in the world, but companies like ALCOA and GM have poisoned its rivers and the surrounding communities. These actions have already threatened the Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawk) Nation of Akwesasne. The corporations endangered the life of present and future generations and menaced the cultural foundations of the Mohawk community. 

Because the rivers of the area lacked significant legal protection, the polluters were able to do as they pleased. This should never happen again, and it is our responsibility to protect the rivers and the health of all the communities they sustain against all present and future threats.

We are the Voice of Rivers Committee. We believe in the Rights of Nature and everything it implies, because we cannot extricate ourselves from it. We are part of nature. Safeguarding it means safeguarding our present and future while making a step towards the healing process between Native Nations and settler societies.

For more information about the North Country Rights of Nature Symposium and/or to sign up for the event, go to: https://nocoenvironment.org/rights-of-nature. 

If you have any comments or would like to join the movement, feel free to contact: nocoenvironment@riseup.net. 

Images courtesy of Talking Wings.