Recorded statements from Elders and knowledge holders
Recorded Statements from Elders and Knowledge Holders
Recorded statements from Elders and Ts’msyen knowledge holders are valuable records of guidance, memory, and interpretation under *ayaawx*. They are preserved to support learning, continuity, and protection against loss — **not to replace living authority or fix law permanently**.
This page explains how such statements are recorded, understood, and safeguarded within Ts’msyen law.
Foundational Understanding
Elders and knowledge holders carry law through lived experience.
Their statements:
- transmit understanding of ayaawx
- clarify responsibility and protocol
- recall adaawx and precedent
- guide interpretation in context
- teach restraint and balance
Recording preserves voice, not supremacy.
Purpose of Recording
Statements may be recorded to:
- prevent loss of knowledge
- support teaching and learning
- provide reference during review
- protect against misrepresentation
- assist continuity across generations
Recording is a support tool, not a source of authority.
Authority Remains Living
A recorded statement:
- does not become binding law on its own
- does not override future Elder guidance
- does not exhaust meaning
- does not remove the need for witness
- does not replace feast-based affirmation
Authority remains with living Elders and lawful process.
Consent and Context
Statements are recorded only with consent.
This includes:
- clarity about purpose and audience
- respect for limits on use or sharing
- understanding of cultural and legal context
- ability to withdraw or correct
Consent is ongoing, not one-time.
Individual Voice and Collective Law
A recorded statement reflects:
- the voice of the individual speaker
- their experience and role
- their understanding at that time
It does not automatically represent:
- all Elders
- all houses
- all clans
- final interpretation of law
Collective law arises through process and witness.
Review and Correction
Recorded statements remain open to:
- clarification
- correction
- contextual explanation
- supplementation by others
Correction honours the speaker and strengthens law.
Relationship to Adaawx
Recorded statements may:
- reference adaawx
- explain how adaawx guide conduct
- provide teaching about responsibility
They do not replace adaawx or authorize retelling beyond protocol.
Use in Education
Recorded statements may be used for:
- teaching youth
- language and cultural learning
- illustrating principles of ayaawx
- supporting understanding of governance
Educational use must respect limits and attribution.
Use in Governance and Dispute Resolution
Recorded statements may inform discussion.
They:
- provide memory and perspective
- assist deliberation
- do not decide outcomes
- do not substitute for lawful authority
Decisions remain grounded in living process.
Protection Against Misuse
Recorded statements must not be:
- selectively quoted
- taken out of context
- used to override others
- treated as fixed rulings
- cited as external authority
Misuse weakens both the speaker and the law.
Storage and Stewardship
Recordings are stewarded with care.
Stewardship includes:
- secure storage
- clear attribution
- access controls where needed
- respect for restrictions
- community oversight
Custodianship does not confer ownership.
Relationship to Written Records
Written summaries or transcripts:
- assist accessibility
- must preserve meaning
- should note limits and context
- do not replace oral authority
Where conflict exists, living guidance prevails.
Teaching Humility in Use
Those who listen to recorded statements are taught:
- to listen with humility
- to seek clarification
- to avoid finality
- to respect living authority
Listening is an active responsibility.
Living Continuity
Recorded statements support continuity when:
- they remain connected to living law
- they are reviewed and renewed
- they are used with care and restraint
Elders speak into the future, but law remains alive only when it is lived.