View source for Asserting Tsm’syen national sovereignty and inherent rights

= Asserting Ts’msyen National Sovereignty and Inherent Rights =

The Ts’msyen Nation asserts its sovereignty and inherent rights as flowing from *ayaawx*, relationship to land and waters, and continuous practice across generations.  
These rights are not granted by external governments and do not depend on recognition, legislation, or judicial approval.

Sovereignty exists because Ts’msyen law exists.

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== Foundational Understanding ==

Ts’msyen sovereignty is inherent.

It:
* predates foreign states and constitutions
* arises from ayaawx
* is carried through wilp, clans, and lived responsibility
* endures regardless of external denial or recognition

Sovereignty is exercised through law, not claimed through permission.

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== Meaning of Inherent Rights ==

Inherent rights are not delegated or conditional.

They include:
* jurisdiction over Ts’msyen land and waters
* authority to govern internal affairs
* stewardship responsibilities to all beings
* maintenance of Ts’msyen law and legal order
* determination of representation and consent
* protection of culture, language, and continuity

Rights exist together with responsibilities.

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== Sovereignty and Territory ==

Ts’msyen sovereignty is grounded in territory.

Territory is understood through:
* adaawx as records of land and title
* wilp stewardship and responsibility
* named places and travel routes
* continued use and care
* feast and witness recognition

External boundary lines do not define Ts’msyen jurisdiction.

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== Sovereignty and Governance ==

Ts’msyen sovereignty is exercised through governance rooted in ayaawx.

This includes:
* wilp authority and stewardship
* clan balance and kinship law
* hereditary name-bearing roles
* Elder guidance and interpretation
* feast and public witness
* national coordination where required

Administrative systems do not replace these structures.

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== Sovereignty and Consent ==

Sovereignty includes the authority to grant, withhold, condition, or withdraw consent.

Under Ts’msyen law:
* consent must be free, prior, and informed
* authority to consent rests with lawful holders
* silence does not equal consent
* breach of terms invalidates consent

Consent exercised under ayaawx is an expression of sovereignty.

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== Relationship to External Recognition ==

External recognition:
* may acknowledge Ts’msyen existence
* may facilitate coexistence or cooperation
* may provide defensive tools

It does not:
* create sovereignty
* define Ts’msyen law
* grant authority
* limit inherent rights

Recognition follows sovereignty; it does not produce it.

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== Non-Supremacy of Foreign Law ==

Ts’msyen sovereignty affirms that:
* foreign constitutions do not supersede ayaawx
* statutes do not extinguish inherent rights
* courts do not hold interpretive authority over Ts’msyen law
* administrative convenience does not override jurisdiction

Coexistence does not imply hierarchy.

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== Collective and Individual Dimensions ==

Ts’msyen sovereignty is collective.

It is carried by:
* the Nation as a whole
* wilp as stewards of place
* clans as connectors of law
* individuals through responsibility and conduct

Individual rights exist within collective responsibility.

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== Protection Against Erosion ==

Sovereignty is threatened by:
* partial recognition
* fragmentation of rights
* imported limitation frameworks
* procedural reduction of consent
* silence where authority must be stated

Active assertion prevents gradual erosion.

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== Witness and Reaffirmation ==

Sovereignty is reaffirmed through:
* public declaration
* feast and witness
* continued practice of law
* resistance to unlawful interference
* teaching of youth

Law remains strong when it is spoken and lived.

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== Relationship to Future Generations ==

Asserting sovereignty protects those yet to come.

It ensures:
* continuity of law
* protection of land and waters
* freedom from inherited surrender
* ability to govern according to Ts’msyen values

What is not asserted today may be harder to reclaim tomorrow.

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== Continuity ==

By asserting Ts’msyen national sovereignty and inherent rights:
* ayaawx remains primary
* authority remains grounded
* responsibility remains intact
* unity is preserved without centralization
* future generations inherit strength

Ts’msyen sovereignty is not a claim awaiting approval.
It is a reality maintained through law, responsibility, and care.