September 17, 2012 Whanganui River granted legal identity There
is a fascinating story from New Zealand regarding an agreement
between the government and the Whanganui River iwi (a group of
Maori who live near the river) to grant the Whanganui River
status as an entity under New Zealand law. "A spokesman for the
Minister of Treaty Negotiations said Whanganui River will be
recognised as a person when it comes to the law - 'in the same
way a company is, which will give it rights and interests'." The
river will be protected by two guardians, one representing the
Crown, and the other representing the iwi. The Whanganui River
is the third longest river on the North Island of New Zealand.
It has been subject to ongoing court battles between the Crown
and the Maori since at least 1873. The area around the Whanganui
River was heavily populated by Maori prior to the arrival of the
Europeans, and the mouth of the river became an important
trading post and European settlement. Efforts have been made for
the past several