Elders do not override ayaawx
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Purpose
This page sets lawful limits on interpretation within Tsm’syen law. It clarifies how elders exercise interpretive authority without overriding Ayaawx, replacing house or clan authority, or removing responsibility.
Core Principles
- Elders do not override Ayaawx.
- Elders do not replace house or clan authority.
- Interpretation does not eliminate responsibility.
- Loss of trust limits interpretive authority.
Meaning
Interpretation exists to clarify law, not to alter it. Authority to interpret arises from trust, conduct, and recognition, and remains bounded by Ayaawx and lawful governance structures.
Lawful boundaries
- Ayaawx remains supreme: Interpretation cannot suspend, replace, or contradict Ayaawx.
- House and clan authority remain intact: Elders do not assume jurisdiction held by houses or clans.
- Responsibility persists: Those who act remain accountable for their decisions.
- Interpretation is advisory, not executive: Elders guide meaning and process, not command outcomes.
Loss of trust
Interpretive authority is reduced or withdrawn when:
- interpretation is used to justify misuse of power
- advice becomes coercive or directive
- conduct undermines balance, dignity, or relationship
- decisions are made without witnesses or proper process
Loss of trust limits interpretive authority.
Modern context
These constraints protect Tsm’syen law from:
- concentration of authority under the guise of wisdom
- elders being used to legitimize unlawful actions
- imported systems that collapse advice into command
- erosion of house and clan jurisdiction