North Carolina is on the frontlines of the fight to recognize the legal rights of rivers, wetlands, forests, and sacred sites. From the foothills of the Appalachians to the coastal plains, Indigenous communities are resisting fossil fuel projects, such as the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) Southgate and Transco's Southeast Supply Enhancement (SSEP), while advancing a transformative legal framework: the Rights of Nature.

This session will dig into how 7 Directions of Service is building a state-based Rights of Nature movement through the Rights of the Rivers campaign, provide updates on key regional pipeline fights and discuss how culture and ceremony can inform policy.

We will explore how Rights of Nature can be applied to:

• Protect rivers and wetlands from pipeline construction and pollution

• Restore sovereignty over sacred lands and burial sites

• Mobilize youth, elders, and grassroots leaders to defend living systems as relatives, not resources