Elders Must Never Beg

Elders Must Never Beg

INITIATION DRAFT — Ayaawx teaching page explaining why Elders must never be left to ask, plead, or struggle for support, and the responsibilities of the wilp, the community, and leadership to uphold their dignity.

Overview

Under Ayaawx, Elders are:

• knowledge keepers,
• witnesses to history,
• guardians of language,
• protectors of adawx,
• and carriers of the House lineage.

Because of this sacred role, an Elder must never:

• beg,
• go without,
• feel forgotten,
• be ignored,
• or be forced into shame.

Their dignity is a community responsibility.

If an Elder is begging, the **wilp** is failing its duties.

Dignity as a Legal Principle

Ayaawx contains an unspoken but ancient law:

“Elders must never lower themselves to ask.”

They have already paid their dues:

• through work,
• through parenting,
• through grief carried,
• through language held,
• through teaching,
• through surviving colonial harm,
• through keeping House identity alive.

Their needs must be anticipated — not responded to only after suffering.

Why Elders Cannot Beg

Begging places an Elder:

• beneath their own House,
• beneath their lineage,
• beneath their rightful standing,
• and beneath Ayaawx.

This harms:

• the Elder’s spirit,
• the reputation of the wilp,
• the name associated with that House,
• and the future generation who witness the neglect.

When an Elder begs, the shame falls not on the Elder — but on the people who made them ask.

Responsibilities of the Wilp

A wilp must:

• check on its Elders regularly,
• provide food security,
• ensure warmth, shelter, and comfort,
• assist with transportation,
• keep them involved in feasts,
• consult them on decisions,
• honor their words,
• uphold their dignity in public and private.

This is not optional. It is Ayaawx.

Responsibilities of Leaders

Sm’oogyet and matriarchs (sigyidm hana̱’a̱) must:

• speak on behalf of Elders,
• prevent them from being ignored,
• advocate for their needs in feasts,
• ensure youth understand their role,
• intervene when systems fail them.

A leader who lets Elders struggle breaks feast law.

Responsibilities of Youth and Working Members

Youth must:

• carry wood,
• check on Elders,
• deliver food,
• shovel snow,
• sit and listen,
• learn language,
• support when asked —

but ideally **before** asked.

Working-age members must:

• drive Elders to appointments,
• do heavy tasks,
• harvest food for them,
• provide fish and oolichan grease,
• lift them up in feast settings.

Caring for Elders is how youth learn who they are.

Colonial Systems and Elder Neglect

Colonization created conditions where Elders were:

• isolated,
• underfunded,
• removed from family,
• placed in care homes,
• stripped of harvesting rights,
• excluded from decision-making.

These systems reversed our law — forcing Elders to ask, apply, appeal, or beg for things that used to be freely given.

This page restores the original standard.

Feast Law and Elder Priority

In feasts:

• Elders are fed first,
• seated properly,
• spoken to with respect,
• lifted in speeches,
• never rushed or dismissed.

Feast protocol reflects the truth:

• • Elders are the seat of dignity in the House.**

When an Elder Does Ask

If an Elder asks for help — it is a **shocking failure** in Ayaawx.

The response must be:

• immediate,
• collective,
• generous,
• and without question.

Shame must never fall on the Elder. Correction (ha’lidzap) must fall on those who allowed the situation to occur.

Summary

Elders must never beg because:

• they are the foundation of the wilp,
• they carry the House memory,
• they deserve lifelong dignity,
• caring for them strengthens sovereignty,
• neglect weakens the entire community.

Ayaawx teaches:

• • An Elder should only have to open their door —

never their mouth — to receive care.**

Notes

INITIATION DRAFT — Will expand with matriarch teachings, feast examples, traditional caregiving roles, and contemporary supports for Elder care.