A living collection of principles and rulings
A Living Collection of Principles and Rulings
Ts’msyen law is not contained in a single document or fixed code. It exists as a **living collection of principles and rulings**, carried through *ayaawx*, adaawx, practice, and public witness.
This collection grows, adapts, and remains open to correction while preserving continuity across generations.
Foundational Understanding
Ayaawx is living law.
It is expressed through:
- guiding principles
- witnessed rulings
- precedent carried in adaawx
- corrective actions and restorations
- decisions affirmed through feast and public accountability
Law is maintained through use, not compilation alone.
Principles
Principles are enduring foundations of Ts’msyen law.
They include:
- responsibility tied to authority
- balance over domination
- restoration over exclusion
- restraint in use of land and waters
- accountability through witness
- protection of future generations
Principles guide decisions even when circumstances change.
Rulings
Rulings arise when principles are applied to specific situations.
Rulings may:
- resolve disputes
- affirm or correct conduct
- clarify responsibilities
- establish proportional responses
- guide future action
Rulings are contextual, not universal commands.
Relationship Between Principles and Rulings
Principles provide direction. Rulings provide application.
Together they:
- preserve flexibility
- prevent rigid interpretation
- allow law to respond to new conditions
- maintain continuity without stagnation
Neither exists without the other.
Role of Adaawx
Adaawx carry memory of principles and rulings.
They:
- record how law was applied
- preserve precedent and consequence
- teach through example
- anchor rulings to place and responsibility
Adaawx ensure law is remembered accurately.
Witness and Confirmation
Principles and rulings gain authority through witness.
Witness occurs through:
- feast and ceremony
- public acknowledgment
- recognition by other houses and clans
- repetition over time
Unwitnessed rulings do not become law.
Correction and Refinement
Because law is living:
- rulings may be refined
- interpretations may be corrected
- principles may be reaffirmed
- harmful applications may be set aside
Correction strengthens law; it does not weaken it.
Recording Without Freezing
This collection may be recorded to:
- support learning
- prevent loss
- aid continuity
- protect against distortion
Recording does not:
- freeze law
- replace lived authority
- override future guidance
Written form supports memory, not supremacy.
Role of Elders
Elders safeguard the living nature of law.
They:
- interpret principles
- assess rulings in context
- guide correction and restraint
- protect coherence across communities
Elder guidance keeps law whole.
Relationship to Modern Circumstances
Modern conditions may require new rulings.
These:
- must align with established principles
- must respect ayaawx
- must consider cumulative and future impact
- must be witnessed and accountable
Novelty does not excuse imbalance.
Continuity
A living collection of principles and rulings ensures:
- law remains adaptable
- authority remains grounded
- memory is preserved
- future generations inherit guidance, not rigidity
Ayaawx endures because it lives.