Elders may advise houses, clans, or leadership

Principle Elders may advise houses, clans, or leadership.

Purpose

This page clarifies the advisory role of elders within Tsm’syen law. Elders provide guidance, memory, and perspective to support lawful decision-making, while respecting the authority and responsibilities of houses, clans, and recognized leadership.

Statement of Law

Elders may:

• advise houses on matters of responsibility, conduct, and balance
• advise clans where issues affect inter-house relations
• advise leadership when guidance is requested or when law is at risk of misapplication

Advice does not replace authority, but supports it.

Nature of Elder Advice

Advisory, Not Directive

• Elders do not command outcomes.
• Elders do not unilaterally decide disputes.
• Advice supports lawful authority rather than overriding it.

Grounded in Legal Memory

• Advice draws from ayaawx and adaawx.
• Elders recall precedent, past resolutions, and witnessed outcomes.
• Guidance emphasizes continuity and restraint.

Relational Responsibility

• Elders advise within relationships they are recognized in.
• Authority to advise arises from trust, conduct, and recognition over time.
• Advice is offered in service of balance, not personal influence.

Scope of Advice

Elder advice may address:

• interpretation of ayaawx
• historical precedent and consequence
• responsibilities attached to names, crests, or territory
• risks of imbalance or harm
• appropriate paths toward restoration or restraint

Limits

• Elders do not create new law through advice.
• Elders do not substitute for house or clan authority.
• Advice cannot be used to bypass lawful jurisdiction.
• Elder guidance remains accountable before witnesses and public memory.

Modern Context

In modern governance settings, this principle ensures that:

• elders are not reduced to symbolic figures
• advice is not mistaken for political control
• leadership does not claim elder support without consent
• traditional guidance is not weaponized to justify predetermined outcomes

Practical Indicators

Lawful use of elder advice will:

• be openly acknowledged
• respect the authority of the receiving house or body
• remain consistent with known precedent
• avoid secrecy or coercion
• strengthen balance rather than centralize power

See also

• Elders as Interpreters of Law
• Interpretation Considers History, Relationship, and Consequence
• Ayaawx (Tsm’syen Law)
• Adaawx and Territory
• Limits on Authority
• Maintain Balance Across Houses
• Accountability before Witnesses