Protecting Land from Industry

Protecting Land from Industry

INITIATION DRAFT — Ayaawx teaching page explaining the responsibilities of the wilp to protect land and waters from industrial harm, and how this responsibility continues unchanged on unceded territory.

Overview

Under Tsm̱syen ayaawx, the wilp carries the **original and ongoing responsibility** to protect:

• lands,
• waters,
• harvesting places,
• rivers,
• spawning grounds,
• berry patches,
• mountain trails,
• and sacred sites.

Industry is a recent arrival. Ayaawx is ancient.

When industry enters Tsm̱syen territory without permission, alters the land, or causes harm, it is not merely an environmental issue — it is a **breach of wilp sovereignty and ancestral law**.

Wilp Duty of Care

A wilp holds:

• crest rights,
• watersheds,
• mountain passes,
• fishing sites,
• and named places.

With these rights come responsibilities:

• preserve the land as inherited,
• keep waters alive for future generations,
• prevent harm from outsiders,
• correct violations,
• and speak for those who cannot speak (animals, salmon, roots, medicines).

A sm’oogyet or sigyidm hana̱’a̱ is accountable for the integrity of the territory.

Ayaawx and Industrial Activity

Industry must never:

• damage spawning grounds,
• pollute rivers,
• poison medicines,
• destroy named places,
• threaten harvesting sites,
• or disrespect burial grounds.

Ayaawx requires a wilp to act when these harms occur.

Industry has no authority unless:

• permission is granted,
• protocols are followed,
• witnesses acknowledge the agreement,
• matriarchs approve long-term impacts.

Without these, all industrial activity is **unlawful under Tsm̱syen law**.

Unceded Territory and Jurisdiction

Because Tsm̱syen territory is unceded:

• the Crown never purchased the land,
• no valid treaty transferred jurisdiction,
• colonial permits do not override wilp authority.

Industry relies on:

• assumed Crown sovereignty,
• regulatory loopholes,
• lack of enforcement,
• community exhaustion,
• and uncertainty created by colonial systems.

Ayaawx removes that uncertainty:

• • the wilp is the rightful government of the land.**

Environmental Harm as a Legal Breach

When industry:

• sprays herbicides,
• dumps runoff,
• leaks oil or chemicals,
• damages fish habitat,
• alters water flow,
• mines or blasts without consent,

it violates:

• ayaawx,
• crest duty,
• wilp sovereignty,
• ancestral rights,
• and obligations to unborn generations.

Under ayaawx, the land cannot be traded for convenience or money. It must remain alive for the next people who will carry the names.

The Role of Witnesses

Any agreement or permission involving industry requires witnesses:

• internal House witnesses,
• witnesses from neighbouring wilp,
• and public acknowledgment.

Without witnesses:

• the agreement carries no lawful weight,
• the wilp cannot be held accountable,
• the company gains no legitimacy.

Witnesses protect the House from false claims.

Responsibilities of Sm’oogyet and Matriarchs

Leaders must:

• speak firmly to protect the territory,
• block harmful projects,
• require environmental knowledge before agreeing,
• ensure youth understand impacts,
• call correction (ha’lidzap) when harm occurs,
• and prepare the wilp for long-term stewardship.

A leader who ignores land protection violates his or her own name.

Tools for Protection Today

Wilp may use:

• feast declarations,
• written letters,
• environmental monitoring,
• legal challenges,
• media statements,
• alliances with other Nations,
• scientific evidence,
• and UNDRIP Article 32 (FPIC).

These tools support ayaawx — they do not replace it.

Industry and Consent

Consent must be:

• free (not pressured),
• prior (before activity),
• informed (all risks explained),
• and collective (the wilp decides, not individuals).

A company that moves ahead without proper consent:

• violates international law,
• violates Indigenous law,
• risks liability,
• and weakens its social licence.

Long-Term Stewardship

Protecting land is multi-generational work. Ayaawx teaches that:

• we inherit responsibilities, not privileges,
• decisions must benefit children and grandchildren,
• short-term gain is never worth long-term harm,
• wilp must think in centuries, not contracts.

Industry thinks in decades. Ayaawx thinks forever.

Summary

Protecting land from industry is not a modern political stance — it is an ancient duty encoded in:

• crests,
• names,
• stories (adaawx),
• and feast law.

Industry may come and go. The wilp remains.

The land must be protected for:

• ancestors,
• current generations,
• and those not yet born.

Notes

INITIATION DRAFT — To expand with wilp-specific examples of land protection, watershed teachings, CN rail impacts, and salmon stewardship protocols.