Intergenerational continuity
Intergenerational continuity
Intergenerational continuity is the principle that law, authority, and responsibility do not belong to individuals alone. They persist across generations through names, houses, adaawk, and witnesses.
The present holder does not replace the past. They stand in the same legal place.
Continuity through names
When a name is taken, the person becomes the living embodiment of that name.
Through names:
- legal authority continues across time
- responsibilities remain intact
- past actions remain accountable
- unfinished obligations are inherited
A name is not a reward. It is a burden carried forward.
Continuity through houses
Houses (waap / wilp) exist beyond any single lifetime.
They provide:
- stability of territorial authority
- continuity of stewardship obligations
- protection against personal ownership of power
Authority belongs to the house, not the individual.
Continuity through adaawk
Adaawk function as legal memory.
They record:
- how authority was acquired or entrusted
- what responsibilities were accepted
- where violations occurred
- what remains unresolved
Adaawk prevent erasure by time or reinterpretation by convenience.
Continuity through witnesses
Living witnesses bridge generations.
They:
- confirm what was acknowledged in feast
- recall obligations when challenged
- correct false or revised claims
- connect present actions to past commitments
As long as witnesses live, law remains active.
Continuity and accountability
Intergenerational continuity ensures that:
- authority cannot be reset by death
- responsibility cannot be abandoned by succession
- violations follow the name until addressed
Time does not absolve duty.
Failure of continuity
When continuity is broken:
- authority becomes unstable
- trust erodes
- law weakens
- disputes multiply
Preserving continuity is a legal responsibility in itself.
Core principle
Authority survives generations only if responsibility does. What is carried forward must also be upheld.