Presenter(s): Matthew Stephens − Environmental Studies
Faculty Mentor(s): Steven Brence
Panel Session 1SW
Research Area: Humanities / Social Science
Funding: Humanities Undergraduate Research Award
This paper aims to determine the overall effectiveness of the Whanganui River Settlement Claims legislation, the ethical veracity of its central tenant that aims to grant legal personhood to the Whanganui River, and whether this recognition and protection afforded to the Whanganui River should be utilized as a model for other nations in the effort to protect and preserve our natural landscapes, resources, and cultural heritage while challenging the central tenants of a human nature division that environmentalism posits as a key contributor factor in issues of environmental degradation.