Youth and Future Generations
Youth and Future Generations
Ayaawx for the Ones Who Come After Us
-
Youth learning on the land (placeholder — replace with uploaded photo)
-
Youth in regalia (placeholder — replace with uploaded photo)
Our Teachings Begin With the Future
In Tsm’syen law, every choice we make is witnessed by those not yet born. Youth are not separate from governance — they are the ones who will inherit the house, the territories, the songs, the crests, and the responsibilities.
Our Elders say: A wilp is only as strong as the young ones who rise inside it.
This means that a community that does not train its youth loses its law within one generation.
Core Teachings for Youth
Your Actions Carry Your House With You
A young person does not walk the world alone. Everywhere they go, their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and house leaders walk behind them.
- Good behaviour strengthens the House name.
- Harmful behaviour reflects on those who raised you.
- Respect toward others brings pride to the clan.
Shame falls on many shoulders, but honour lifts us all.
Learning Through Observation
Youth learn not by lectures but by watching how people conduct themselves in feasts, dispute resolution, naming ceremonies, mourning practices, and inter-house cooperation. Every moment is a teaching.
Responsibilities Come Before Rights
In modern systems, children are taught their rights. In Tsm’syen ayaawx, youth are taught their responsibilities:
- Caring for siblings and Elders
- Respecting other Houses’ prerogatives
- Showing humility before speaking publicly
- Avoiding gossip, greed, and interference
- Bringing honour through generosity and behaviour
Respect Between Women and Men
This is one of the most important teachings to restore.
Young Men
- Do not speak inappropriately to young girls or women.
- Never boast, pressure, or cross boundaries.
- Protect the dignity of women, who carry names and future generations.
- Misconduct brings shame to the offender’s entire House.
Young Women
- Carry yourself with dignity as a descendant of powerful lines.
- Your value is in being respected, not merely admired.
- Your choices echo into future generations.
In earlier times, inappropriate behaviour resulted in public correction — not for punishment, but to protect the House for decades ahead.
Youth as Witnesses
Before adulthood, youth learn to:
- Listen carefully
- Remember accurately
- Speak truthfully
- Serve as witnesses in feasts and disputes
A strong witness is one of the foundations of ayaawx.
Supporting Future Generations
Land-Based Education
Youth learn best on the land:
- Fishing
- Berry and medicine gathering
- Smokehouse teachings
- Canoe travel
- Storytelling at the places where the stories happened
Songs, Dances, and Naxnok
Teach youth:
- Who owns each song
- The story behind each crest
- How to dance respectfully
- How to acknowledge whose floor they stand on
Oral Histories and Family Trees
Youth must know their:
- Clan
- House
- Lineage
- Name sources
- Ancestral stories connected to their wilp
A youth without roots becomes vulnerable to confusion and outside influence.
Why This Matters Today
Ayaawx gives youth identity, strength, belonging, boundaries, and dignity. Restoring these teachings rebuilds the protection that kept our people strong for thousands of years.