This New Zealand river now has the same legal rights as a human being – Washington Post

To the Maori, indigenous people who live along New Zealands Whanganui River, the water isnt only sacred its part of their being.

The communityhas a saying, Ko au te awa. Ko te awa ko au. In English, this means, I am the river. The river is me.

For years, the Maori peoples relationship with the waterway has been legally unrecognized despite their best efforts. But on Wednesday, theNew Zealand Parliament passed a bill granting the river the same legal rights as a human being, BBC reported.

I know the initial inclination of some people will say its pretty strange to give a natural resource a legal personality, New Zealands Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson told the BBC.But its no stranger than family trusts, or companies or incorporated societies.

During the early 1900s, however, visitors to New Zealand would pile on paddle boats to cruise down the countrys third-longest river. As years passed, taking kayaks or jet-boats down the twisting waterwaybecame more fashionable, according to the Rough Guide to New Zealand. The movie River Queen, whichstarred Samantha Morton andKiefer Sutherland, was even filmed on its waters.

The tribes of Whanganui take their name, their spirit and their strength from the great river which flows from the mountains of the central North Island to the sea. For centuries the people have travelled the Whanganui River by canoe, caught eels in it, built villages on its banks, and fought over it, according to websiteTe Ara, managed by theManat Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

But as the touristscame, the pollution grew.

By 1970 the river was nearly dead, the New Zealand Heraldreported in 2011. One wastewater treatment plant operator, Phil Gilmore, said it suffered from 150 years of nonstop pollution.

The riverhad no true legal representation, until now.

The Parliaments decision on Wednesdaymeans the river can now be recognized in court. It will be will be represented by two people, one from the New Zealand government and one from the Maori community.

We have always believed that the Whanganui River is an indivisible and living whole which includes all its physical and spiritual elements from the mountains of the central North Island to the sea, Gerrard Albert, an Maori spokesman, told the Telegraph.

AsParliament member Adrian Rurawhe toldRadio New Zealand, the Maori view the rivers well-being as directly linked to their own, making the bill personal.

The Maori have fought for recognition of its relationship with the Whanganui River since the 1870s, Finlayson told the Sydney Morning Herald, adding that it was the longest running litigation in New Zealands history.

The bill also included $80 million in financial redress and a $30 million fund that will be used to improve the rivers health, the New Zealand Herald reported.

Attendees of the third reading of the billbroke into song.

It has been a long, hard battle, Albert told the Telegraph. While today we close the book on this part of our history, tomorrow we start writing a new one.

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This New Zealand river now has the same legal rights as a human being - Washington Post