View source for Ayaawx as the primary jurisdiction of the Tsm’syen Nation

= Ayaawx as the Primary Jurisdiction of the Ts’msyen Nation =

For the Ts’msyen Nation, '''ayaawx''' is the **primary and supreme jurisdiction**.  
All authority, governance, responsibility, and law flow from ayaawx.

Ayaawx predates external governments, written statutes, and imposed legal systems.  
It remains the living source of Ts’msyen law, binding across all territories, houses (*wilp*), clans (*pdeex*), and generations.

----

== Foundational Assertion ==

Ayaawx is law.

It is not:
* custom
* tradition
* culture alone
* advisory principle

Ayaawx is the **original legal order** of the Ts’msyen Nation and governs all internal affairs.

----

== Scope of Ayaawx Jurisdiction ==

Ayaawx governs:
* land and waters
* houses (*wilp*) and their authority
* clans (*pdeex*) and kinship law
* names, crests, and succession
* adoption and membership
* dispute resolution and compensation
* ceremony, feast, and witness
* inter-house and inter-tribal protocols
* accountability and correction
* relationships with other Nations

No Ts’msyen matter exists outside ayaawx.

----

== Ayaawx and Territorial Authority ==

Ayaawx establishes jurisdiction over Ts’msyen territory.

Territorial authority under ayaawx includes:
* stewardship responsibilities
* access and use rules
* protection of sacred and restricted areas
* resolution of territorial disputes
* regulation of travel and passage

Territory is governed through relationship and responsibility, not ownership alone.

----

== Ayaawx and Governance Structures ==

All Ts’msyen governance structures derive authority from ayaawx, including:
* wilp (houses)
* clan groupings (pdeex)
* hereditary name holders
* Elders
* feasts as legal forums
* councils and assemblies
* a National Council of Elders

These bodies do not replace ayaawx; they **carry it forward**.

----

== Ayaawx and Decision-Making ==

Under ayaawx:
* decisions must be witnessed
* authority must be accountable
* balance must be maintained
* correction must be possible

Decisions made outside ayaawx lack legitimacy within Ts’msyen law.

----

== Ayaawx and External Legal Systems ==

Ayaawx is not subordinate to external law.

Where external legal systems exist:
* Ts’msyen participation does not extinguish ayaawx
* cooperation does not imply surrender of jurisdiction
* agreements must respect Ts’msyen law to be legitimate
* reinterpretation without consent is unlawful

Ayaawx remains the standard by which external interaction is judged.

----

== Interpretation of Ayaawx ==

Ayaawx is interpreted through:
* adaawx (true histories)
* Elder knowledge
* feast precedent
* lived practice
* collective memory

Interpretation restores balance; it does not rewrite law.

A National Council of Elders serves as the collective keeper and interpreter of ayaawx when guidance is required across communities.

----

== Limits and Accountability ==

Ayaawx limits power.

It:
* restrains authority
* requires justification
* demands correction
* protects future generations

No person, house, or body may place itself above ayaawx.

----

== Ayaawx as Living Law ==

Ayaawx is not frozen in the past.

It is living law that:
* adapts to new circumstances
* remains grounded in principle
* is renewed through ceremony
* is taught through apprenticeship
* is preserved through witness

Continuity does not require stagnation.

----

== Assertion of Jurisdiction ==

The Ts’msyen Nation asserts that:
* ayaawx is its primary jurisdiction
* Ts’msyen law governs Ts’msyen affairs
* authority flows from responsibility, not delegation
* law is sustained through relationship, witness, and balance

Where ayaawx is respected, Ts’msyen governance remains whole.