Why lakes and rivers should have the same rights as humans
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Kelsey Leonard |
TEDWomen 2019
• December 2019
Water is essential to life. Yet in the eyes of the law, it remains largely unprotected -- leaving many communities without access to safe drinking water, says legal scholar Kelsey Leonard. In this powerful talk, she shows why granting lakes and rivers legal "personhood" -- giving them the same legal rights as humans -- is the first step to protecting our bodies of water and fundamentally transforming how we value this vital resource.
Learn more about the Navajo Water Project and how you can support the work of Dig Deep to bring water and sanitation access to families across the Navajo Nation.
Learn more about the efforts of Indigenous youth to promote Indigenous water governance by bringing together diverse Indigenous water initiatives, increasing access to knowledge, connections, information and approaches.