Mari Luz Canaquiri Murayari - Rights of Rivers
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Provided by: Goldman Environmental Foundation|Published on: August 7, 2025
Articles/WebsitesScientist Reviewed
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This resource introduces Goldman Environmental Prize winner Mari Luz Canaquiri Murayari and tells her story of protecting the Marañón River in Peru.
- Students will learn about the pollution resulting from oil spills into the river, its impacts on the health of people and animals in the area, and how Mari Luz and the rest of the Kukama women's association, Asociación de Mujeres Huaynakana Kamatahuara Kana, worked to get the river legal personhood, retaining its right to stay clean and free-flowing.
Subjects: Civics
Authors: The Goldman Environmental Prize
Region: South and Central America
Languages: English, Spanish
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This story is an excellent example of the importance of women's voices.
- Many students will find the environmental law aspects of this story intriguing.
Prerequisites
- Teachers may need to explain what free-flowing means in this context.
Differentiation & Implementation
- This guide from the Goldman Environmental Foundation is a companion resource with note-taking guides, activities, and questions that can be implemented with any of the videos for the prize winners.
- To make geography connections, teachers can have students identify the Marañón River on a map and discuss its geographic importance.
- Teachers can use this story to explain the interconnectedness between the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being, and SDG 14: Life Below Water.
- The article briefly mentions the Kakuma people's connection to the river. Students can explore this connection and use what they learn and what they know to construct a definition of the word steward.
This resource highlights the efforts of one woman to gain rights of nature protection for the Marañón River in Peru. Environmental justice and Indigenous peoples’ rights are woven through the entire article. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
The Goldman Environmental Prize
The Goldman Environmental Prize honors the achievements and leadership of grassroots environmental activists from around the world, inspiring all of us to take action to protect our planet. Prize winners are announced each April, coinciding with Earth Day. They are celebrated with a live ceremony in San Francisco.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
