Mongabay · Natuur

Cherokee youth secure legal rights for waterway in pioneering U.S. effort

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council has unanimously passed a resolution granting inherent legal rights to the Longperson, an interconnected waterway system. This landmark decision, driven by the NAIWA Daughters, a group of Indigenous girls aged 10 to 17, marks the first all-female-led rights-of-nature initiative in the U.S. and the second youth-led effort by a tribal nation.

The resolution, passed on January 8, 2026, recognizes the Longperson (Ganvhidv Asgaya) as a living entity with five inherent rights: to exist and regenerate free from harmful human disturbance, to maintain its natural integrity, to serve as habitat, to remain free-flowing, and to be protected under EBCI law. This effort builds on the rights-of-nature movement, which advocates for ecosystems to have legal standing.

The NAIWA Daughters' initiative followed 18 months of grassroots organizing, including community dinners and meetings with council members. The group was inspired to act after observing environmental disturbances impacting the waterway and its inhabitants, such as the eastern hellbender salamander.

The passage of the Longperson resolution has already led to further action, including a separate tribal resolution to fund the removal of the Ela Dam. This dam has historically blocked the migration path of the critically imperiled sicklefin redhorse, a culturally significant fish.

The Rights of Nature movement, which has seen adoption in over 40 countries and by numerous Tribal nations in the U.S., views natural entities as having legal standing. The NAIWA Daughters' success is seen as a revival of traditional Indigenous philosophies into a legal framework, emphasizing responsibility for protection over ownership.

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