Rights of Nature
Program Overview
Through the Rights of Nature Institute, the Niibi Center provides education, resources, guidance, and strategic convenings for the governments of sovereign, Woodlands tribal nations. The Program Director, Terry Janis (MA, JD; Sicangu Lakota), is a lawyer with experience working with Indian law and treaty rights.
People We Serve
This program is focused on supporting the movement to award legal rights to our non-human relations, specifically through the Niibi Center’s work with the White Earth tribe in protecting manoomin through policies at the tribal level which gives manoomin the rights of personhood.
Program Activities
Through the Rights of Nature Institute, the Niibi Center provides education, resources, guidance, and strategic convenings for the governments of sovereign, Woodlands tribal nations to develop and support policies and initiatives that protect the inherent rights of niibi and manoomin. One specific focus of the program is to provide legal counsel and guidance with policy creation and implementation in conjunction with the White Earth Department of Natural Resources.
In collaboration with Minnesota State University – Moorhead, Terry Janis leads this effort, conducting research, providing trainings, and building strategic collaborations that enable tribal governments to establish policies that protect and preserve sovereignty and the well-being of niibi and manoomin.
We recently hosted the First Annual Anishinaabe Law Conference on White Earth in June, 2023. Please find videos of the keynote speakers below and feel free to share the videos with those who are interested in learning more!
Source of Funds
The Rights of Nature program is supported by funds from the First Nations Development Institute and the Bush Foundation.