Lawyers and non-lawyers alike have argued for some time now about the rights of non-human entities. Do animals, for example, have rights?
The idea of extending rights to nature got a boost recently when the Yurok Tribal Council passed a resolution to extend rights to the Klamath River, which has sustained tribal members for eons. So now come the questions about what granting rights to a river accomplishes. Amy Cordalis, the General Counsel for the tribe, visits with details of the action and its intended effects. She is joined by Geneva Thompson, a tribal law expert.