Amusterer: initiation

2025-12-06T20:58:37Z

initiation

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= Greed and Breakdown of the System =
''INITIATION DRAFT — Ayaawx teaching page explaining how greed disrupts Tsm̱syen social systems, feast law, distribution, wilp governance, and community balance. Greed is not “personal failing”; it is a force that weakens the entire structure of society.''

== Overview ==
Ayaawx is built on:
* generosity,
* balance,
* distribution ([[gwiikxw]]),
* shared responsibility,
* honour ([[łoomsk]]),
* and humility.

Greed is the opposite force —
it takes instead of shares,
withholds instead of distributes,
and elevates the self instead of the wilp.

When greed enters the system,
the entire structure begins to break.

== Greed Was Not Traditional ==
Before colonization, social shame prevented greed from growing:
* wilp responsibility held people accountable,
* matriarchs intervened early,
* feasts redistributed wealth,
* witnesses ensured fairness,
* no one gained status by hoarding,
* and honour was tied to giving, not taking.

Greed existed, but it had **no place to grow**.

Colonization created the conditions where greed could become normalized.

== Forms of Greed ==
Greed can appear as:
* hoarding wealth or food,
* refusing to share fish, berries, or oolichan grease,
* withholding feast contributions,
* taking more than one’s share at distribution,
* using House resources for personal benefit,
* seeking status without responsibility,
* misusing authority for gain,
* seeking money instead of honour,
* treating land as commodity,
* prioritizing self over wilp.

All of these actions violate Ayaawx.

== How Greed Breaks Feast Law ==
Greed harms the feast system by:
* weakening distribution,
* reducing generosity,
* damaging honour,
* creating jealousy and tension,
* confusing youth about proper conduct,
* turning feasts into competition instead of responsibility.

A feast cannot function when people think in terms of “mine” instead of “ours.”

== Greed and Wilp Breakdown ==
In the wilp, greed causes:
* mistrust,
* fractures between families,
* broken relationships,
* refusal to follow matriarch guidance,
* lack of participation in harvesting,
* loss of respect for leadership,
* conflict over money or resources,
* withholding territory knowledge from youth.

A greedy member weakens the entire House.

== Colonial Systems and the Rise of Greed ==
Greed grew as a result of:
* the wage economy,
* scarcity created by displacement,
* residential schools removing youth from distribution,
* government programs that rewarded individualism,
* capitalist values replacing Ayaawx values,
* band council systems based on elections and competition,
* poverty and trauma.

Colonialism taught people to survive through **accumulation**,
instead of **responsibility**.

== Greed in Leadership ==
When leaders fall into greed, the harm is multiplied.

Signs of greedy leadership include:
* making decisions for money instead of land,
* ignoring matriarchs,
* blocking transparency,
* withholding information,
* accepting benefits not offered to the wilp,
* using authority for personal status.

Ayaawx teaches that:
**A leader who enriches themselves at the cost of the wilp loses honour and authority.**

== Impact on Youth ==
Youth witness:
* unequal distribution,
* gossip about money,
* tension between Houses,
* people competing instead of supporting.

This destroys:
* their trust in Ayaawx,
* their understanding of generosity,
* their desire to learn,
* their confidence in leadership.

When youth see greed, they stop believing in the system.

== Generosity as the Antidote ==
Ayaawx counters greed with:
* feasts,
* distribution ([[gwiikxw]]),
* supporting Elders,
* teaching youth to give first,
* correcting selfish behaviour early,
* matriarch guidance,
* public accountability.

Generosity was — and still is — the backbone of Tsm̱syen law.

== Restoring Balance ==
A system damaged by greed can be repaired by:
* returning to distribution practices,
* putting Elders first,
* sharing food widely,
* teaching youth the harvest cycle,
* prioritizing community over individuals,
* returning decisions to the wilp instead of individuals,
* lifting matriarch authority,
* bringing conflicts into the feast for resolution,
* realigning honour with responsibility.

Ayaawx always has a path back to balance.

== Summary ==
Greed is not just a personal flaw —
it is a threat to:
* feast law,
* wilp unity,
* community integrity,
* youth teachings,
* and Tsm̱syen sovereignty.

Ayaawx teaches:
* share,
* distribute,
* support,
* uplift,
* honour your House by giving, not taking.

Generosity builds nations.
Greed breaks them.

== Notes ==
INITIATION DRAFT — Will expand with feast examples, matriarch teachings, and historical notes on how distribution was used to counteract greed.

Greed and Breakdown of the System - Revision history

Amusterer: initiation