The Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) Tribal Council recently made history with a unanimous vote that granted legal river personhood status to the Colorado River. CRIT is the first community to bestow such recognition on the 1,450-mile waterway. This action represents a dramatic departure from Western water law, which historically treats rivers as property to be divided and consumed.
Under the personhood status, the Colorado River gains three protections under tribal law. First, the river secures the legal right to be protected, allowing legal action on its behalf if threatened. Furthermore, CRIT tribal councils must now consider the river’s needs when making any decisions that could impact the waterway. Finally, the tribe gains explicit legal mechanisms to support the river’s long-term health through restoration projects or by designating flows.
This action codifies beliefs held by the tribe for millennia: they view the river as a living entity deserving of reciprocal care. This decision supports CRIT's deeply-held cultural and spiritual values with an enforceable legal code.
CRIT’s action fits into a larger rights of nature movement, making the Colorado the third river in North America to gain such legal protections. The concept draws insight from precedents set by other Indigenous peoples, including the Yurok Tribe's recognition of the Klamath River and the Māori people's success with New Zealand's Whanganui River.
The CRIT tribal attorney general is now developing specific provisions to add to the tribal code. These provisions will outline all protections the river is entitled to under tribal law. This new river personhood status provides CRIT with a lasting, enforceable legal foundation to protect its most vital resource for future generations.
