View source for Responsibility for land, water, and beings

= Responsibility for Land, Water, and Beings =

'''Responsibility for land, water, and beings''' is inseparable from authority.

To hold authority without responsibility is unlawful.

== Principle ==
All authority carried by a Wilp (Waap) includes responsibility for:

* Land
* Water
* Animals
* Plants
* Human and non-human beings within the territory

These responsibilities arise from Ayaawx and are not optional.

== Scope of Responsibility ==
Responsibility includes the duty to:

* Protect lands and waters from harm
* Prevent depletion and contamination
* Ensure access according to law
* Maintain balance between use and care
* Respond to damage through restoration

Neglect is a form of harm.

== Relationship to Beings ==
Beings are not resources.

They are participants in the legal and moral order.

Responsibility requires:

* Respect for life cycles
* Recognition of dependency and reciprocity
* Avoidance of unnecessary suffering
* Protection of future generations

Harm to beings reflects failure of stewardship.

== Accountability ==
Responsibility is enforced through:

* Witnessed conduct
* Public memory
* Adaawk and oral record
* Correction through law when duties are violated

Unaddressed harm erodes legitimacy.

== Modern Context ==
In modern settings, responsibility extends to:

* Industrial impacts
* Environmental contamination
* Infrastructure and development decisions
* Delegated authority exercised on behalf of a house or nation

Outsourcing harm does not remove responsibility.

== Consequences of Failure ==
When responsibility is not upheld:

* Authority may be challenged
* Roles may be reassigned
* Decision-making power may be withdrawn
* Restoration may be required

Law acts to restore balance, not protect misconduct.

== Cross-References ==
* [[Authority Connected to Specific Territory]]
* [[Stewardship and Resource Law]]
* [[Accountability for Harm]]
* [[Lawful Use and Access]]
* [[Public Memory of Responsibility]]