#42 Jonathan Carson - The River that Became a Legal Person

The Wild Podcast

The Whanganui River in New Zealand is the first river in the world to be granted the status of a legal person. But what does that really mean?
In this episode, Andy talks with Jonny about the short documentary he produced on the Whanganui River, called Ko Au Te Awa (I Am The River).
The film explores the concept of legal personhood from a Māori worldview.
When the legislation passed in 2017 there was a lot of confusion around how a river could be seen as a living entity.
In this conversation, we talk about how legal personhood isn't a Māori concept at all, the 150-year struggle by iwi to have their relationship to the river recognised at law, and what this potentially means for the health and conservation of the river going forward.
//EPISODE EXTRAS//
Watch the documentary Ko Au Te Awa here.
Follow Jonathan on Instagram.
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Thanks heaps,
-- Andy & Jonny
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