Celebrating ripples of positivity as we discover a river in New Zealand has been granted the same legal rights as a human being, meaning it must be treated as a living entity. Two guardians will be appointed to act on behalf of the Whanganui river, one from the crown and one from the Whanganui iwi.
"We consider the river an ancestor and always have"
Gerrard Albert, the lead negotiator for the Whanganui iwi [tribe]