Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Pass Resolution Protecting the Rights of Plants and Animals

The Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians has taken action to recognize the inherent rights of living things in the natural world. At a recent tribal board meeting the Sault Ste Marie Chippewa Tribe recognized its responsibility to protect the rights of animals, plants, and the land and water that make up their homes, collectively referred to in Anishinaabeg culture as More than Human Relatives.

The resolution states that ways of thinking find humans are not top of the evolutionary hierarchy but are dependent on the More Than Human Relatives. Laying out the rights of the natural works based on inherent value beyond the ecological relationship to humans. The resolution calls for the needs of the natural world taken into consideration when deciding on habitats, populations, and well-being. The Sault Ste Marie tribe began work to develop the resolution last year when it was discovered that a stand of Northern White Cedar was harmed by improper bark harvest.

Sault Tribe Chair Austin Lowes says that the tribe will continue to identify opportunities to update tribal codes to ensure goals align with the resolution. Adding that the work is an important first step to affirming the relationship and dependence between humans and the natural world.

Find a full copy of the resolution here.