Relationship between traditional and elected structures
Creating Relationship between Traditional and Elected Structures
Ts’msyen governance today exists within multiple structures. Traditional systems grounded in *ayaawx* continue alongside elected bodies created through external frameworks.
This page describes how a **lawful relationship** can be maintained between these structures without displacing Ts’msyen law, authority, or responsibility.
Foundational Understanding
Traditional governance under ayaawx predates elected systems.
Elected structures:
- arose under colonial administration
- operate within external legal frameworks
- manage certain contemporary functions
Traditional structures:
- arise from ayaawx
- carry inherent authority
- govern law, land, and responsibility
- endure regardless of external recognition
Relationship does not imply equivalence.
Distinct Roles and Sources of Authority
Traditional authority derives from:
- ayaawx
- adaawx
- wilp stewardship
- clan balance
- hereditary responsibility
- Elder guidance
- feast and witness
Elected authority derives from:
- delegated mandates
- administrative structures
- time-limited terms
- external legal recognition
These sources are different and must not be confused.
Complementary, Not Competing, Functions
A healthy relationship recognizes different functions.
Traditional structures:
- guide law and legitimacy
- interpret ayaawx
- steward land and waters
- resolve disputes
- protect long-term continuity
Elected structures may:
- manage programs and services
- administer funding
- interface with external governments
- coordinate modern operations
Conflict arises when roles are blurred.
Requirement of Alignment with Ayaawx
All Ts’msyen governance must align with ayaawx.
This means:
- elected decisions should respect traditional law
- actions affecting land and waters require traditional guidance
- elected bodies must not override wilp authority
- reinterpretation of ayaawx is rejected
Administrative authority does not replace law.
Communication and Consultation
Lawful relationship requires communication.
This includes:
- regular dialogue between elected leaders and traditional holders
- consultation with wilp on matters of stewardship
- Elder involvement in major decisions
- transparency about mandates and limits
Consultation is not consent, but it is required.
Mandate and Limits of Elected Authority
Elected bodies operate within defined limits.
They may not:
- surrender ayaawx authority
- redefine Ts’msyen law
- bind wilp without consent
- extinguish traditional rights
- claim interpretive authority over adaawx
Where limits are exceeded, correction is required.
Witness and Accountability
Relationship between systems is strengthened through:
- public acknowledgment of roles
- feast or gathering where appropriate
- witness of agreements and boundaries
- correction when imbalance occurs
Witness prevents quiet erosion of authority.
Resolving Tension Between Structures
Tension may arise between traditional and elected systems.
When it does:
- ayaawx governs resolution
- Elders guide interpretation
- wilp authority is respected
- restraint is favored over escalation
Tension is resolved through law, not power.
Protecting Future Generations
Relationship-building must consider future impact.
Decisions should:
- avoid weakening traditional authority
- prevent normalization of external supremacy
- leave space for future governance renewal
- protect interpretive space for Elders yet to come
Short-term convenience must not undermine continuity.
Living Relationship
The relationship between traditional and elected structures is living.
It:
- adapts to circumstance
- allows correction
- requires humility
- remains grounded in ayaawx
Where relationship is maintained properly, governance remains whole.