Structure of the Nation
Part II — Social Order of the Tsm’syen
Structure of the Nation
Luu Wil Na Tsm’syen
The Structure of the Tsm’syen Nation
The Tsm’syen Nation is organized through a layered and relational legal order. Authority does not flow downward from a central ruler. It arises upward from land, houses, clans, and lived responsibility.
Each level of the Nation carries distinct duties, limits, and forms of accountability. No level may lawfully override another outside its proper role.
Wilp (Waap) — House Authority
The Wilp (Waap) is the foundational legal unit of the Nation.
A Wilp holds:
- Authority connected to specific territory
- Responsibility for land, water, and beings
- Custodianship of names, crests, and adaawk
- The duty to uphold Ayaawk within its domain
House authority is not ownership. It is stewardship held in trust and maintained through lawful conduct.
All higher structures depend upon the legitimacy of the houses beneath them.
Pteex — Clan Structure
Wilp are grouped within Pteex (clans).
Clans:
- Coordinate inter-house relationships
- Maintain balance across houses
- Support lawful succession and continuity
- Provide checks against isolation or abuse of authority
Clan affiliation establishes broader responsibility beyond a single house.
Galts’ap — Community Life
Communities (galts’ap) are places of shared living and cooperation.
Communities:
- Host multiple houses and clans
- Provide space for collective deliberation
- Support daily governance, care, and mutual aid
- Do not replace house authority
Community leadership must remain accountable to the houses present.
Tribal and National Order
The Nation emerges from the collective recognition of lawful houses and clans.
At the national level:
- Shared Ayaawk is articulated
- Inter-community matters are addressed
- External relations are conducted
- Collective defense of law and land is organized
National authority exists only where houses recognize it.
Balance of Authority
No structure is supreme by default.
Authority remains lawful only when:
- Responsibilities are fulfilled
- Limits are respected
- Witnesses continue recognition
- Ayaawk remains intact
When authority is misused, legitimacy may be withdrawn through lawful process.
Continuity Across Time
The structure of the Nation is not static.
It persists through:
- Names that carry legal continuity
- Adaawk that record precedent
- Witnesses who confirm authority
- Living practice across generations
The Nation endures because responsibility is remembered.