First Tribal Nation to Advance the Rights of Nature.
A Press Release from the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, from September 18, 2016.
Mercersburg, Pennsylvania: On Saturday, the General Council of the Ho-Chunk Nation voted overwhelmingly to amend their tribal constitution to enshrine the Rights of Nature. The Ho-Chunk Nation is the first tribal nation in the United States to take this critical step. A vote of the full membership will follow.
The amendment establishes that “Ecosystems and natural communities within the Ho-Chunk territory possess an inherent, fundamental, and inalienable right to exist and thrive.” Further it prohibits frac sand mining, fossil fuel extraction, and genetic engineering as violations of the Rights of Nature. …
To read the entire Press Release, click HERE.