Rights and Responsibilities
Tsm’syen National Ayaawx Framework
A living record of Tsm’syen law, gathered from the houses, clans, and tribes of our Nation.
Preamble – The Ayaawx of the Tsm’syen
This page records the emerging national framework of Ayaawx, the laws and ways of the Tsm’syen. It is not the voice of one person, one band, or one administration. It is a record of the shared understandings of our houses, clans, and tribes, building on the work of past recorders and knowledge keepers.
The purpose of this framework is to:
- Affirm Ayaawx as the highest law of the Tsm’syen Nation.
- Bring together house, clan, and tribal knowledge in one living structure.
- Describe how Tsm’syen law guides relationships between people, lands, waters, and all beings.
- Provide a national reference point that cannot be broken apart by external governments.
This is a living document. As Elders, knowledge holders, youth, and community members share more, the framework will grow and become more complete.
Part I – Foundations of Ayaawx
Chapter 1 – Origin of Law
- The cosmic order and source of Ayaawx
- Spiritual authority and the unseen world
- Law as the transformation of suffering and restoration of balance
Chapter 2 – Adaawx as Legal Memory
- Stories as title deeds and legal records
- Names as living continuity of persons and roles
- Oral law as binding law
Chapter 3 – Crests and Symbolic Authority
- Meaning and responsibilities of crests
- Blackfish, Raven, Eagle, Wolf and other crests
- Crest obligations across all Tsm’syen territories
Part II – Social Order of the Tsm’syen
Chapter 4 – Structure of the Nation
- Overview of Tsm’syen tribes
- The clan (pdeex) system
- Relationships between tribes and clan groupings
Chapter 5 – Wilp and Waap Governance
- House (wilp/waap) authority and responsibilities
- Name-bearing roles and succession
- Adoption, bloodlines, and membership in a house
Chapter 6 – Elders as Interpreters of Law
- Role of hereditary name holders and Elders
- Authority of Elder women
- A National Council of Elders as keepers and interpreters of Ayaawx
Chapter 7 – Youth and the Future Line
- Responsibilities of youth in learning Ayaawx
- Participation in house and national decision-making
- Apprenticeship and transfer of knowledge
Part III – Justice and Restoration
Chapter 8 – Principles of Restorative Justice
- Rebalancing harm through compensation and ceremony
- Public accountability and witness
- Restoring relationships rather than casting people away
Chapter 9 – Inter-House and Inter-Tribal Dispute Law
- Protocols between houses and tribes
- Ceremonial settlement and agreement
- The role of witnesses, feasts, and public record
Chapter 10 – Competent Jurisdiction
- Ayaawx as the primary jurisdiction of the Tsm’syen Nation
- Paths of resolution under Tsm’syen law before any external forum
- Protection from external reinterpretation of Ayaawx
Part IV – Tsm’syen Territorial Order
Chapter 11 – Laxyuup: Lands of the Tsm’syen
- Territories of the Tsm’syen tribes
- Responsibilities to rivers, mountains, inlets, and seas
- Adaawx as the record of land and title
Chapter 12 – Stewardship and Resource Law
- Salmon law, river law, and ocean law
- Forest, plant, and animal obligations
- Ayaawx mandates for respectful relations with the environment
Chapter 13 – Modern Violations and National Response
- Harms to land, water, and beings (e.g. industrial impacts)
- Tsm’syen national responses rooted in Ayaawx
- Restorative approaches to modern environmental and social harms
Part V – National Governance Under Ayaawx
Chapter 14 – Tsm’syen National Assembly
- Representation by houses, clans, and tribes
- Forms of national decision-making under Ayaawx
- Relationship between traditional and elected structures
Chapter 15 – National Ayaawx Codex (Recorder Section)
- A living collection of principles and rulings
- How community knowledge is gathered and recorded
- Regular review and renewal through Elders and houses
Chapter 16 – Implementation Across All Communities
- Application across all Tsm’syen territories
- Respectful coexistence with band and municipal systems
- Seeking recognition without surrendering Ayaawx
Part VI – Protection and International Rights
Chapter 17 – Protection from External Reinterpretation
- Affirming the non-supremacy of foreign constitutional or statutory law over Ayaawx
- Preventing “reasonable limits” arguments from eroding Tsm’syen law
- Guarding against fragmentation of Tsm’syen rights and responsibilities
Chapter 18 – UNDRIP, Section 25, and International Law
- Using international standards as shields, not ceilings
- Defining Free, Prior, and Informed Consent in Tsm’syen terms
- Asserting Tsm’syen national sovereignty and inherent rights
Part VII – Historical and Cultural Records
Chapter 19 – Tribal Adaawx
- Key adaawx of each Tsm’syen tribe
- How these stories define law and territory
Chapter 20 – House Adaawx
- House-specific histories and legal narratives
- Responsibilities carried by each name and crest
Chapter 21 – Crest Histories
- Origins of crests and their legal meaning
- Relationships between crest-bearing houses and tribes
Chapter 22 – Witness Statements (Community Contributions)
- Recorded statements from Elders and knowledge holders
- Community reflections and clarifications
Part VIII – Recorder’s Appendix
Chapter 23 – Methodology of Recording
- How this framework was built and who contributed
- Principles of honesty, respect, and transparency
- The recorder’s role as servant to the people, not ruler over them
Chapter 24 – Future Generations
- Guidance to those who will continue this work
- Hopes for*