Duties of protection and care
Duties of protection and care
Duties of protection and care arise from relationship, authority, and responsibility held in trust. To hold authority is to accept the obligation to protect and care for those within its reach.
Protection and care are not optional virtues. They are legal duties.
Scope of protection and care
Duties extend to:
- people within the house, clan, and territory
- land, waters, and dependent beings
- shared routes, access points, and gathering places
- relationships with neighboring peoples
- future generations who inherit the consequences of present action
Care is owed where authority exists.
Forms of protection
Protection includes:
- preventing harm and exploitation
- defending against encroachment or misuse
- safeguarding food systems and water quality
- maintaining safe passage and access
- intervening when imbalance threatens well-being
Failure to protect is a breach of responsibility.
Forms of care
Care requires:
- restraint in use of land and resources
- attention to long-term balance
- maintenance and restoration where damage occurs
- listening to those affected by decisions
- teaching proper conduct and responsibility
Care is active, not passive.
Protection and care through law
Ayaawk governs how protection and care are exercised.
Law ensures that:
- protection does not become domination
- care does not become neglect
- authority remains accountable
- consequences are addressed openly
Law channels responsibility into proper action.
Witnessing and accountability
Duties of protection and care are enforced through:
- living witnesses
- feast acknowledgment
- public recall of obligation
- intergenerational memory
Unseen care is not enough. Responsibility must be visible.
Breach of duty
When duties of protection and care are breached:
- harm spreads beyond the immediate act
- authority weakens
- legitimacy is questioned
- restoration or consequence is required
Neglect carries consequence equal to misuse.
Fulfillment of duty
Duties are fulfilled when:
- harm is prevented or addressed
- balance is maintained or restored
- relationships remain intact
- witnesses continue to recognize legitimacy
Fulfillment confirms authority.
Core principle
Authority exists to protect and care, not to command or consume. What is held must be safeguarded.