View source for Preventing “reasonable limits” arguments from eroding Tsm’syen law

= Preventing “Reasonable Limits” Arguments from Eroding Ts’msyen Law =

Under Ts’msyen law, the concept of “reasonable limits” as used in foreign constitutional or statutory systems does not define, restrict, or override *ayaawx*.  
Unexamined use of such language risks gradual erosion of Ts’msyen authority, interpretation, and responsibility.

This page explains how Ts’msyen law prevents external limitation frameworks from weakening ayaawx.

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== Foundational Understanding ==

Ayaawx contains its own limits.

These limits arise from:
* responsibility tied to authority
* balance between beings, land, and people
* restraint governed by law
* accountability through witness and correction
* protection of future generations

Foreign “reasonable limits” frameworks are not required to control Ts’msyen law.

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== What “Reasonable Limits” Language Does ==

In external legal systems, “reasonable limits” language:
* shifts authority to courts or administrators
* allows balancing against external priorities
* invites reinterpretation over time
* normalizes gradual restriction of rights or law

When imported uncritically, it transfers power away from Ts’msyen law.

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== Incompatibility with Ayaawx ==

Ayaawx does not operate on abstract reasonableness tests.

Instead:
* limits are relational, not discretionary
* restraint is grounded in responsibility, not convenience
* balance is assessed through lived impact, not abstract standards
* authority to limit conduct remains internal

Applying external tests replaces Ts’msyen judgment with foreign judgment.

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== Internal Limits Under Ts’msyen Law ==

Ts’msyen law already limits action through:
* wilp stewardship obligations
* clan balance and kinship restraint
* Elder guidance
* adaawx precedent
* feast witness and public accountability
* restoration requirements after harm

These limits are lawful because they arise from ayaawx itself.

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== Risk of Incremental Erosion ==

Erosion often occurs gradually through:
* casual borrowing of “reasonable limits” language
* framing ayaawx as subject to external tests
* silence when foreign standards are applied
* administrative convenience overriding law

Once normalized, external limitation becomes assumed supremacy.

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== Safeguards Against Erosion ==

To prevent erosion, Ts’msyen law requires that:
* ayaawx be named as the source of all limits
* foreign limitation language be avoided or explicitly rejected
* internal standards of restraint be articulated instead
* interpretive authority remain with Elders and wilp
* ambiguity be resolved internally, not externally

Clarity protects jurisdiction.

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== Engagement with External Systems ==

When engaging systems that rely on “reasonable limits” language:
* Ts’msyen law is stated as primary
* participation does not imply acceptance of external tests
* internal limits are referenced instead
* interpretive authority is reserved
* withdrawal remains an option where law is threatened

Engagement must be conditional.

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== Role of Elders ==

Elders safeguard against improper limitation.

They:
* assess whether restraint aligns with ayaawx
* distinguish lawful balance from imposed restriction
* correct misuse of external language
* protect long-term integrity of law

Elder guidance prevents quiet drift.

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== Recording Without Importing Supremacy ==

When Ts’msyen law is described or recorded:
* internal limits are named explicitly
* foreign terminology is contextualized or avoided
* no equivalence is implied
* room for future correction is preserved

Words carry power.

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== Relationship to Future Generations ==

Preventing erosion protects those not yet born.

If law is gradually limited today:
* future generations inherit weakened authority
* restoration becomes harder
* external supremacy becomes normalized

Protection now preserves freedom later.

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== Continuity ==

By rejecting “reasonable limits” arguments as a governing standard:
* ayaawx remains whole
* internal restraint remains lawful
* external reinterpretation is resisted
* Ts’msyen authority endures

Ts’msyen law contains its own wisdom.
It does not require foreign permission to be balanced.