Wilp and Waap Governance

Wilp and Waap Governance

Category: Tsm’syen Law Page status: Working

Purpose

This page describes governance at the level of the wilp and waap. It records how authority, responsibility, and law operate within the house system of the Tsm’syen Nation, grounded in ayaawx and adaawx.

This page does not define modern administrative roles.

General principles

• The wilp / waap is the foundational governing unit.
• Authority arises from lineage, name, and conduct.
• Governance is exercised through responsibility, not control.
• Law is lived and enforced first at the house level.
• House governance operates within broader clan and Nation law.

WILP / WAAP

House

• The wilp / waap is the primary unit of governance.
• Each house holds its own adaawx, names, crests, and territories.
• Authority and responsibility originate at the house level.
• Houses are accountable for the conduct of their members.

SIM’OOGIT

House leadership

• Sim’oogit exercise authority within the wilp / waap.
• Leadership is tied to names and their histories.
• Authority is constrained by ayaawx and witnessed conduct.
• A Sim’oogit’s scope of authority does not exceed the house unless lawfully recognized.

ADAAWX

Legal memory

• Adaawx carry the legal history of the wilp / waap.
• Stories record rights, obligations, boundaries, and precedents.
• Governance decisions must align with the adaawx of the house.

RESPONSIBILITY

Members of the house

• Members owe responsibility to their wilp / waap.
• Conduct of individuals reflects on the house as a whole.
• Internal matters are addressed first within the house.
• Compensation and restoration begin at the house level.

RELATIONSHIP

Houses and others

• Houses relate to one another through clan law.
• Disputes between houses are governed by ayaawx and witnessed processes.
• House authority does not operate in isolation from clan or Nation structures.

CONTINUITY

Transmission

• Governance knowledge is transmitted through participation.
• Names, stories, and responsibilities are taught within the house.
• Continuity depends on correct teaching and example.

LIMITS

Constraints on authority

• House authority does not override ayaawx.
• No wilp / waap may claim authority beyond its lawful scope.
• Misuse of authority may result in loss of recognition.

To be developed

• Detailed processes for internal dispute resolution
• Witnessing and recognition practices
• Variations between houses
• Source citations and recorded adaawx

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