Responsibility to land is collective and ongoing
Responsibility to Land Is Collective and Ongoing
Category: Tsm’syen Law Page status: Working
Statement
- Responsibility to land is collective and ongoing.**
This principle defines how obligation to Laxyuup is held and carried under Tsm’syen law.
Meaning
Responsibility to land does not rest with individuals alone and does not end with time, use, or benefit.
Responsibility is:
- Shared among houses and clans
- Continuous across generations
- Maintained through conduct, not claim
No one stands outside responsibility to land.
Collective Responsibility
Responsibility to land is held collectively.
- Houses hold responsibility for their territories
- Members act within the responsibility of their houses
- Harm caused by one affects the standing of many
- Collective responsibility reinforces accountability
Land use is never purely individual.
Ongoing Obligation
Responsibility to land does not expire.
- Responsibility continues after use ends
- Responsibility continues after leadership changes
- Responsibility continues beyond lifetimes
Past conduct remains relevant to present responsibility.
Responsibility and Harm
Harm to land creates imbalance.
- Harm must be acknowledged
- Responsibility includes repair and restoration
- Denial or avoidance prolongs imbalance
- Repair is guided by ayaawx and witnessed practice
Unaddressed harm weakens authority and trust.
Limits
Responsibility sets limits on conduct.
- Benefit does not erase obligation
- Permission does not eliminate responsibility
- Authority does not remove accountability
- External approval does not replace obligation
Responsibility remains even when control is shared or constrained.
Continuity
Responsibility to land is passed on through teaching and practice.
- Elders guide understanding of obligation
- Youth are prepared to inherit responsibility
- Continuity depends on memory and care
The land remembers conduct, and responsibility follows.