Laxyuup — Lands of the Tsm’syen

Laxyuup — Lands of the Tsm’syen

Category: Tsm’syen Law Page status: Working

Purpose

This page describes laxyuup, the lands of the Tsm’syen, and their place within Tsm’syen law. It records how land is understood as a source of law, responsibility, and relationship rather than property.

This page does not define land ownership under external legal systems.

General principles

• Laxyuup is the source of law, identity, and responsibility.
• Land is held through relationship, not possession.
• Authority over land is governed by ayaawx.
• Responsibility to land is collective and ongoing.
• Disconnection from land weakens law.

LAXYUUP

Lands

• Laxyuup refers to the lands of the Tsm’syen.
• Land includes territory, waters, resources, and places of meaning.
• Laxyuup is inseparable from people, law, and history.
• Land is not transferable outside law.

RELATIONSHIP

People and land

• Houses hold responsibility for specific areas of laxyuup.
• Responsibility includes care, use, protection, and respect.
• Use of land carries obligations to others and to future generations.
• Relationship to land is maintained through conduct.

ADAAWX

Legal memory of land

• Adaawx record boundaries, histories, and events tied to laxyuup.
• Stories establish rights, responsibilities, and consequences.
• Elders recall and interpret adaawx when land is in question.
• Adaawx guide lawful use and decision-making.

AUTHORITY

Governance of land

• Authority over laxyuup arises from ayaawx.
• Houses exercise authority within their lawful areas.
• Clan and Nation law govern shared or overlapping lands.
• No authority exists without responsibility.

USE

Lawful interaction

• Land use must align with ayaawx.
• Extraction or alteration requires lawful recognition.
• Harm to land creates imbalance requiring restoration.
• Unlawful use affects standing and trust.

DISPUTE

Conflict and resolution

• Land disputes are addressed through Tsm’syen law.
• Resolution prioritizes restoration of balance.
• Witnessing is required for legitimacy.
• Persistent misuse of land undermines authority.

CONTINUITY

Future responsibility

• Laxyuup must be protected for future generations.
• Decisions consider long-term impact.
• Teaching responsibility to land is essential to continuity.
• Law survives through continued relationship to land.

LIMITS

Boundaries

• Laxyuup is not subject to unilateral alienation.
• External claims do not displace internal law.
• Loss of responsibility weakens authority over land.
• Lawful limits preserve balance.

To be developed

• Documented adaawx tied to specific territories
• Inter-house land responsibilities
• Relationship to water and marine areas
• Interaction with external land claims
• Source citations

---

Navigation >> Structure of the Nation >> Wilp and Waap Governance >> Inter-House and Inter-Tribal Dispute Law >> Competent Jurisdiction >> Ayaawx >> Adaawx