Why lakes and rivers should have the same rights as humans | Kelsey Leonard

譯者: NAN-KUN WU 審譯者: Melody Tang

Aquay Wunne Kesuk. Kelsey Leonard Nooweesuonk.

Aquay Wunne Kesuk. Kelsey Leonard Nooweesuonk.

Hello, good day, everyone.

哈囉，大家好。

I'm from the Shinnecock Nation.

我來自辛納科克部落。

Tabutni to the Cahuilla peoples,

謝謝伊維留瓦特民族，

whose land we gather on today.

今天我們聚集在他們的土地上。

I was taught that water is alive.

我被教導水是有生命的。

It can hear,

它聽得見，

it holds memories.

它有記憶。

And so I brought a water vessel up with me today,

所以我今天帶了 一個水杯跟我一起上台，

because I want it to hold the memories of our conversation today.

因為我想要讓它存有 我們今天所談的內容的記憶。

Who gets legal rights?

誰能得到合法權利？

History has shown us some people but not others.

歷史告訴我們，有些人能得到， 但其他人不行。

In the United States, Indigenous peoples like myself

在美國，像我自己這樣的原住民

were not citizens under the law until 1924.

一直到 1924 年才成為 法律下的公民。

My Shinnecock ancestors, pictured here,

照片上的是我的辛納科克祖先，

were not citizens under the law.

他們並非法律下的公民。

Then why do we claim to be nations governed by the rule of law

如果有些人受到保護， 其他人卻沒有，

if some people are protected, but not others?

為什麼我們還宣稱 自己是法治的國家？

Because it remains one of the best ways to fight injustice.

因為那仍然是對抗不公正 最好的方式之一。

And, as Indigenous people, we know injustice.

身為原住民，我們知道 不公正是什麼。

A dear friend, mentor, water walker,

我的一位摯友、導師、水行者，

Nokomis, Grandmother Josephine Mandamin-ba,

約瑟芬曼丹明祖母，

she told me of a prophecy that comes from her people,

她告訴我，她的族人，

the Anishinaabe of the Midewiwin Society.

米德維文社會的阿尼西納比， 有一個預言。

And in that prophecy,

她告訴我，

she told me that it tells of a day that will come

在那個預言中提到，將來有一天，

where an ounce of water costs more than an ounce of gold.

一盎司的水比一盎司的黃金還值錢。

When she told me that prophecy, I sat for a moment,

當她告訴我那個預言時， 我沉默了一會兒，

and I thought about all of the injustices we see in our world today,

我想著我們現今 社會上的各種不公正，

the water crises we see in our world today,

我們現今世界上的水危機。

and I said, "Nokomis, Grandmother,

我說：「祖母，

I feel like we are already in that time of prophecy."

我覺得我們已經身處在 預言中的那個時候了。」

And she looked back at me directly,

她直接回望著我，

and she said,

她說：

"So what are you going to do about it?"

「所以你打算怎麼做？」

That's why I'm here with you today,

那就是為什麼今天 我來到各位這裡，

because I believe that one of the many solutions

因為我相信，要解決現今世界上

to solving the many water injustices we see in our world today

許多與水相關的不公正 有許多方法，其中之一

is recognizing that water is a living relation

就是承認水是有生命的，

and granting it the legal personhood it deserves.

並授予它應得的法律人格地位。

So to do so, we need to transform the way in which we value water.

若要這麼做，我們就得要 改變我們看待水的方式。

We have to start to think about how do we connect to water.

我們得要開始思考 我們如何和水連結。

Usually, someone might ask you,

通常，有人可能會問你，

"What is water?"

「水是什麼？」

and you would respond with "Rain, ocean, lake, river,

你會回答「雨水、 海洋、湖泊、河流、

H20, liquid."

H2O、液體。」

You might even understand the sacred essentiality of water

你甚至有可能知道水的神聖本質，

and say that water is life.

並說水就是生命。

But what if I asked you, instead,

但，如果我改問你：

"Who is water?"

「水是誰？」

In the same way that I might ask you, "Who is your grandmother?"

就像是我在問你： 「你的祖母是誰？」

"Who is your sister?"

「你的姐姐是誰？」

That type of orientation

那種定位

fundamentally transforms the way in which we think about water,

會從根本上改變 我們看待水的方式，

transforms the way in which we make decisions

改變我們為了保護水

about how we might protect water,

而做決策的方式，

protect it in the way that you would protect your grandmother,

如同你在保護你的祖母、

your mother, your sister, your aunties.

你的母親、你的姐妹， 和你的阿姨的方式。

That is the type of transformation

我們需要的是這種轉變，

that we need if we are going to address the many water crises we see

才能夠處理現今世界中

in our world today,

我們所看到的許多水危機。

these harrowing water crises

這些讓人痛心的水危機

that have streamed across our digital devices

透過串流傳到我們的數位裝置，

in countdowns to Day Zero,

倒數到第零日，

the point at which municipal water supplies are shut off.

也就是城市供水終止的那一天。

Places like Cape Town, South Africa,

像是南非開普敦這些地方，

where in 2018,

在 2018 年時，

residents were limited to two-minute showers

居民被限制淋浴最多只能兩分鐘，

and 23 gallons of water per day per person,

一人一天只能使用 二十三加侖的水。

or just this past summer, where the mismanagement of water

今年夏天，由於水資源的不當管理

led the streets of Chennai

造成清奈的街頭

to be lined with thousands of plastic water jugs

排滿了數千個塑膠水罐，

as residents waited hours for water tankers

居民要等數小時 才能等到水車來送水。

to deliver water, first by rail, then by truck,

這些水，先是透過火車， 接著透過卡車的運送，

to meet their daily needs.

才能滿足他們日常的需求。

Or even here in the United States,

甚至在美國這裡也有水危機，

one of the most developed nations in the world.

世界上最先進的國家之一。

Today, Flint, Michigan still does not have clean water.

現今，密西根州的弗林特市 仍然沒有乾淨用水。

But you are likely unfamiliar with these water crises,

但你很可能不熟悉 以下的這些水危機，

such as Neskantaga First Nation in Northern Ontario, Canada,

比如加拿大北安大略地區的 納斯坎塔加第一民族，

where residents have been on a boil water advisory since 1995.

在那裡，從 1995 年起，居民就 收到了政府發的建議煮水公告。

Or Grassy Narrows First Nation,

或者格拉斯納羅斯第一民族，

which for decades has been dealing with water contamination

數十年來一直在處理

水受到紙工廠污染的問題。

from the paper mill industry

and where a recent study found

最近有一項研究發現，

that nearly 90 percent of the Indigenous population

該地區近九成的原住民人口

has some form of mercury poisoning,

都受到了某種形式的水銀毒害，

causing severe health complications.

造成嚴重的健康問題。

Or even among the Navajo Nation.

甚至在納瓦荷部落也有發生危機。

Pictured here is the Animas River on an early morning in 2015,

這張阿尼馬斯河照片是在 2015 年的一個清晨所拍攝，

prior to the Gold King Mine spill.

在受到金王礦區廢水污染之前。

After the spill leaked millions of hazardous mine waste

在數百萬加侖有毒礦坑廢水

into the river system,

流入河流系統中後，

this was it later that day.

這是那天晚點拍攝的照片。

Today, the Navajo Nation and the Diné People

現今，納瓦荷部落的族人

and the river itself are still trying to recover from contamination.

以及河流本身依然 在努力從污染中復元。

Or even right here in Palm Springs, California,

或者，甚至在加州這裡的棕櫚泉，

where the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

卡輝亞印第安人阿瓜卡連特帶

has been fighting for decades to protect groundwater from exploitation

數十年來一直在為保護 地下水不要被開採而奮鬥，

so that future generations

以讓未來的世代

can not only live but thrive in their homelands,

能在家園裡延續從已經 久遠到不可考的時代

as they have since time immemorial.

就已開始的生活榮景。

You see, a recent study by DIGDEEP and the US Water Alliance

DIGDEEP 組織和美國水聯盟 近期做了一項研究。

found that race, in the United States,

研究發現，在美國，

is the strongest predictor of water and sanitation access,

若要預測水和衛生的可得性， 種族是最強的預測因子。

and that for us,

對我們而言，

as Native American people,

身為美國原住民，

we are the group most likely to have access issues

我們這個族群最有可能碰到

水和衛生之可得性的相關問題。

as it comes to water and sanitation.

So, as an Indigenous legal scholar and scientist,

所以，身為原住民、 法律學者和科學家，

I believe that many of these water injustices

我相信，許多水相關的不公正，

are the result of the Western legal system's failure to recognize

起因都是西方法律制度沒有能夠

承認水的法律人格地位。

the legal personhood of water.

And so we must ask ourselves --

我們必須要自問——

who is justice for?

公正是要給誰的？

Humanity alone?

只有人類嗎？

We've granted legal personhood to corporations.

我們將法律人格地位授予企業。

In the US, the Supreme Court found in "Citizens United"

在美國，最高法庭 在「聯合公民」案中判定

that a corporation was a person

企業是法人，

with similar protections under the Constitution,

在憲法下受到與人相似的保護，

such as freedom of speech,

比如言論自由，

and applied similar reasoning in "Hobby Lobby,"

以及在「好必來」案中 應用類似的論據，

finding that a corporation had the right to freedom of religion

判定企業有宗教自由的權利，

in defense against the implementation of the Affordable Care Act

辯護反駁對其員工

for its employees.

實施平價醫療法案。

Now, these are controversial cases,

這些是很有爭議性的案例，

and as a Shinnecock woman and a legal scholar,

身為辛納科克女子以及法律學者，

they make me question the moral compass of the Western world,

這些案例讓我質疑 西方世界的道德羅盤，

where you can grant legal personhood to a corporation

你們將法律人格地位授予企業，

but not nature.

卻不授予大自然。

You see, legal personhood grants us the ability

若有法律人格地位，我們就可以

to be visible in a court of law,

以受到法律保護的人的身份，

and to have our voices heard as a person protected under the law.

讓我們在法庭上被看見， 讓我們的聲音被聽見。

And so if you can grant that to a corporation,

如果能把法律人格地位授予企業，

why not the Great Lakes?

為什麼不能授予五大湖？

Why not the Mississippi River?

為什麼不能授予密西西比河？

Why not the many waterways across our planet

為什麼不能授予地球上其他

that we all depend on to survive?

我們賴以維生的水路？

We know we are in a global climate crisis,

我們知道我們身處在 全球氣候危機中，

but globally, our waters are also threatened,

但，從全球的角度來看， 我們的水也有受到威脅，

and we are facing a global water crisis,

我們在面對的是全球的水危機，

and if we want to address these crises in our lifetime,

如果我們想要在有生之年 處理掉這些危機，

we need to change.

我們就得做出改變。

We need to fundamentally transform the way in which we value water.

我們得要從根本上改變 我們看待水的方式。

And this is not something new for us as Indigenous peoples.

對我們原住民來說並不陌生。

Our Indigenous legal systems have a foundational principle

我們的原住民法律體制 有一條根本原則，

of understanding our nonhuman relations

把跟我們有所連結的非人類關係

as being living and protected under our laws.

都視為是有生命 且受到法律保護的。

And even for the Western world,

就連在西方世界，

environmental legal theorists

七○年代也有環境法律理論家

have argued for the rights of nature since the 1970s.

為大自然爭取權利。

But we need to do better.

但，我們得要做得更好。

We need to change.

我們必須要改變。

And we need to grant legal personhood to water,

我們必須要將 法律人格地位授予水，

because it affords the following rights and protections.

因為法律人格地位 能提供後續的權利和保護，

It grants water the right to exist,

讓水有存在的權利，

flourish, and naturally evolve,

繁盛的權利、自然演化的權利，

and most of all, it protects the water from us,

最重要的，還能 保護水不受我們傷害，

from human beings that would do it harm,

不受會危害水的人類傷害，

from human-caused climate-change impacts,

不受人類造成的氣候變遷影響，

from pollutants,

不受污染物傷害，

and from man-made contamination.

不受人類造成的污染傷害。

Moreover, it reverses the accepted hierarchy

此外，這麼做還能逆轉

由人類支配大自然的現存階級。

of humanity's domination over nature.

As human beings on this planet,

身為地球上的人類，

we are not superior to other beings on this planet.

我們並沒有比地球上的 其他存在更優越。

We are not superior to the water itself.

我們並沒有比水更優越。

We have to learn how to be good stewards again.

我們必須要學習如何 再次扮演好的管理人。

We often imagine that the world is filled with infinite water.

我們通常都會想像 世界上的水是用不完的。

In fact, it's not.

事實並非如此。

This planet, Ohke, Mother Earth,

這個星球，Ohke，大地之母，

has very finite freshwater resources.

它的淡水資源非常有限。

Currently, nearly two billion people

目前，有近二十億人

live in countries experiencing high water stress.

生活在水壓力很高的國家中。

It is also estimated that by 2030,

估計，到 2030 年，

up to 700 million people could be displaced, worldwide,

全世界會有高達七億人

可能因為水資源不足而被迫遷移。

due to water scarcity.

We have to address this crisis.

我們必須要處理這個危機。

And so it's time for us to change.

所以，該是我們改變的時候了。

We have to transform the way in which we value water.

我們必須要轉變 我們看待水的方式。

And we can do that.

我們可以做到這點。

We can learn to be good stewards again.

我們可以學習再次成為好的管理者。

We can create laws through which we grant legal personhood to water.

我們可以立法 將法律人格地位授予水。

We can start to honor the original treaties

我們可以開始履行原住民

between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous peoples

和非原住民之間

for water protection.

關於水保護的原始協定。

We can appoint guardians for the water

我們可以指派水的守護者，

that ensure the water's rights are always protected.

來確保水的權利都能夠受到保護。

We can also develop water-quality standards

我們也能替水品質 訂出一套完整的標準。

that have a holistic approach,

把水資源的存續

that ensure the well-being of the water before our human needs.

擺在人類的需求之前。

And moreover, we can work to dismantle exclusive property ownership over water.

此外，我們也能夠廢除 水資源私有的制度。

And there are amazing successful examples of this around the world.

全球各地有許多獲得 卓著效果的例子。

The Whanganui River in Aotearoa, in New Zealand,

紐西蘭奧特亞羅瓦的旺阿努伊河，

以及印度的恆河

and the Ganges River in India

were both granted legal personhood in 2017.

都在 2017 年被授予了 法律人格地位。

And even this year,

就在今年，

the residents of the city of Toledo

托利多城的居民

recognized the legal personality of Lake Erie.

承認了伊利湖的法律人格地位。

And right here in California,

在加州這裡，

the Yurok Tribe granted legal personhood to the Klamath River.

優克部落授予了克拉馬斯河 法律人格地位。

You see, I imagine a world where we value water

在我心目中的世界裡，水是有價值

as a living relation,

且有生命的親人，

where we work to restore our connection to water.

而我們都努力重建和水的連結。

As women, we are water carriers.

身為女性，我們身上就帶著水。

We nurture water in our wombs for nine months.

我們的子宮裡孕育著水長達九個月。

It's the first medicine that each of us as human beings

水是我們每一個人所接觸到的

is exposed to.

第一個藥物。

See, we are all born as human beings with a natal connection to water,

我們打從出世以來 就和水有著深厚的連結。

but somewhere along the way, we lost that connection,

但在生命的某個階段， 我們失去了這個連結，

and we have to work to restore it.

我們必須想辦法重建。

Because I imagine a world

因為在我心目中的世界，

in which water is healthy and ecosystems are thriving.

存在著健康的水 以及蓬勃的生態系。

I imagine a world

在我心目中的世界，

where each of us takes up our right of responsibility

我們克盡水市民的權利義務

as water citizens

and protects water.

來保護水資源。

So, in the words of Nokomis,

所以，就像祖母說過的

what are you going to do about it?

你要怎麼做？

What are you going to do for the water?

你要為水做些什麼？

Well, you can call your local politician.

嗯，你可以撥電話 給當地的政治人物。

You can go to a town meeting.

你可以參加市民大會。

You can advocate for granting legal personhood to water.

你可以倡導授予水法律人格。

You can be like the residents of the city of Toledo

如果政治人物們不願意做的話，

and build from the grass roots,

你可以像托利多市民一樣，

and craft your own legislation if the politicians won't write it,

從根本開始刻畫你自己的法律

recognizing legal personality of water.

來承認水的法律人格。

You can learn about the Indigenous lands and waters that you now occupy

你可以試著去了解你現在 使用的原住民土地及水，

and the Indigenous legal systems that still govern them.

以及現行的原住民法律系統。

And most of all, you can connect to water.

最重要的是，你可以和水連結。

You can restore that connection.

你可以重建這個連結。

Go to the water closest to your home,

前往離你家最近的水邊，

and find out why it is threatened.

看看它是如何受到威脅。

But most of all, if you do anything,

最重要的是， 如果你們想做任何事的話，

I ask that you make a promise to yourself,

我希望你們承諾自己：

that each day, you will ask,

每天，你問自己，

"What have I done for the water today?"

「我今天為水做了什麼？」

If we are able to fulfill that promise,

如果我們能兌現這個諾言，

I believe we can create a bold and brilliant world

我相信我們能創造 一個光彩耀眼的世界。

where future generations are able to form

在這個世界裡， 世世代代都同樣能夠

the same relationship to water that we have been privileged to have,

享受著和水的關係， 就像我們一直有幸享有的一樣。

where all communities of human and nonhuman relations

在這個世界裡，人類與萬物

have water to live,

都能夠因為有水而生存，

because water is life.

因為，水就是生命。

Tabutni. Thank you.

Tabutni. 謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）