View source for Unceded Lands and Wilp Sovereignty

= Unceded Lands and Wilp Sovereignty =
''INITIATION DRAFT — Ayaawx teaching page explaining the relationship between unceded Tsm̱syen lands, wilp sovereignty, and the legal, cultural, and territorial authority that predates and continues independent of colonial governments.''

== Overview ==
Tsm̱syen territory has never been sold, surrendered, ceded, or absorbed by any colonial treaty.  
This fact shapes every discussion of law, land, governance, and rights.

Under ayaawx:
* the '''wilp''' (matrilineal House) is the primary sovereign entity,  
* land is held through lineage,  
* rights come from ancestors,  
* and authority is witnessed, not granted by external governments.

“Unceded” is not a slogan —  
it is a statement of **ongoing jurisdiction**.

== What “Unceded” Means ==
In colonial law, “unceded” lands are territories:
* never purchased,  
* never negotiated,  
* never surrendered,  
* never transferred to the Crown.

In Tsm̱syen law, unceded means:
* the wilp still holds original territorial authority,  
* ayaawx still governs land use,  
* crest rights still define responsibility,  
* the Crown has no lawful purchase or title.

Unceded = sovereignty never interrupted.

== Wilp Sovereignty ==
A '''wilp''' is more than a family.  
It is:
* a territorial government,  
* a holder of stories ([[adaawx]]),  
* a steward of waters, mountains, and harvesting places,  
* an authority on land access and movement,  
* a keeper of crest rights.

Sovereignty rests in:
* matriarchs ([[sigyidm hana̱'a̱]]),  
* sm’oogyet and speakers ([[sgigithanauk]]),  
* witnesses,  
* and the House group as a whole.

No colonial government granted this sovereignty.  
It existed before contact and continues today.

== Ayaawx and Territorial Ownership ==
Under ayaawx:
* land is not “owned,” but held in responsibility,  
* crests encode territorial rights,  
* names (''simgigyet'') contain authority over rivers, inlets, and harvesting places,  
* wilp boundaries are ancient and witnessed in ceremony.

Territorial knowledge is passed through:
* adawx (sacred histories),  
* place names,  
* smokehouse teachings,  
* feast proceedings,  
* House migrations and alliances.

This system predates Canada by thousands of years.

== Colonial Claims Without Consent ==
The Crown asserts sovereignty over Tsm̱syen territory based on:
* the Doctrine of Discovery (invalid),  
* terra nullius (invalid),  
* unilateral declaration,  
* “assumed sovereignty,”  
* enforcement through law and police power.

None of these meet the ayaawx standard of **permission**,  
nor the international standard of **free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC).**

The land remains unceded because:
* there was no treaty,  
* no payment,  
* no lawful acquisition,  
* no House-level transfer,  
* no approval by matriarchs or witnesses.

== Wilp vs. Band Council Authority ==
Band councils were created by the Indian Act to:
* manage reserves,  
* replace hereditary systems,  
* reduce Indigenous governance to municipal-style administration.

They do **not** replace wilp sovereignty.

Under ayaawx:
* wilp governs the entire traditional territory,  
* reserves do not define jurisdiction,  
* hereditary authority supersedes administrative structures,  
* land rights cannot be transferred by band council.

Only a wilp can speak for its land.

== Unceded Territory and Resource Access ==
Because territory is unceded:
* companies (rail, pipeline, forestry) operate without proper consent,  
* environmental harm violates wilp law,  
* jurisdiction remains contested,  
* wilp retain the right to regulate access,  
* compensation and agreements require House-level approval.

Colonial licences do not override ayaawx.

== Unceded Territory in Feasts ==
In the feast house, wilp sovereignty is:
* declared in speeches,  
* encoded in crests,  
* maintained through name transfers,  
* witnessed by other Houses,  
* and reaffirmed publicly.

A crest on a blanket is a territorial map.  
A name spoken aloud is a jurisdictional statement.

No colonial document is stronger than a witnessed feast.

== Modern Implications ==
Unceded Tsm̱syen lands mean:
* Canada and BC assert power without lawful purchase,  
* wilp retain inherent authority over land and water,  
* FPIC must be applied for any project,  
* treaty negotiations begin from the position of Tsm̱syen ownership,  
* territorial decisions must return to the matriarchs and House leaders.

Sovereignty is not something to “restore.”  
It is already intact — it must only be re-recognized.

== Summary ==
'''Unceded lands'''  
→ show the Crown never gained lawful title.  
'''Wilp sovereignty'''  
→ is the original government of the Tsm̱syen.  
'''Ayaawx'''  
→ continues to govern land, identity, and responsibility.  
'''Crests and names'''  
→ are the legal structures of territorial authority.  
'''Feasts'''  
→ remain the highest court of Tsm̱syen law.

Unceded territory means the Tsm̱syen are **sovereign on their own lands**, now and always.

== Notes ==
INITIATION DRAFT — Will expand with House-specific territorial histories, watershed names, and examples of wilp sovereignty in modern contexts.