Interference Between Houses
Interference Between Houses
In Tsm’syen governance, each wilp (house) is autonomous, with its own leaders, histories, territories, names, and responsibilities. The ayaawx makes it clear that wilps must respect each other’s authority and avoid interference in matters that do not belong to them. This page outlines general public teachings on the principles that guide respectful relations between houses.
1. Definition of Interference
Interference occurs when an individual or another wilp:
- Makes claims over another house’s names, territories, crests, poles, or histories
- Challenges the authority of another wilp without proper witnessing
- Speaks on behalf of a house they do not belong to
- Disrupts a feast or the decision-making of another wilp
- Uses public forums (digital or in-person) to undermine, shame, or question another house’s rights
- Interferes with grooming, succession, or internal governance
Interference is considered a violation of ayaawx because it can cause unnecessary conflict, shame, and damage to the social fabric.
2. Independence of Each Wilp
Each wilp has:
- Its own chiefs and matriarchs
- Its own adawx (oral histories)
- Its own wilnaatahl (extended family)
- Its own land and resource responsibilities
- Its own succession processes
No wilp can override another’s decision unless invited to witness or advise.
3. Respectful Boundaries
Ayaawx teaches that every person must know:
- Their own house
- Their clan
- Their lineage
- Their responsibilities
- Their limits
It is inappropriate to:
- Speak as if you belong to another house
- Correct another house’s genealogy without invitation
- Insert yourself into another wilp’s internal matters
- Publicly shame another wilp or its members
- Wear or display crests not belonging to your house
Respecting boundaries is protection — for your own wilp and for others.
4. The Role of Witnesses
Witnesses (luulgit) help ensure:
- Each house’s statements are truthful
- Claims are validated
- Protocol is followed
- Interference is stopped respectfully
If a dispute arises, witnesses can remind individuals of their limits without escalating conflict.
5. Proper Channels for Concerns
Concerns between houses should be addressed through:
- Quiet conversation between matriarchs or chiefs
- Mediation by respected knowledge keepers
- A feast, where issues can be resolved in the proper forum
- Private discussion before public statements
Ayaawx discourages airing disputes casually or on platforms like social media, where protocol cannot be upheld.
6. Digital Interference (Modern Context)
Today, interference often happens online through:
- Social media posts
- Comment threads
- Accusations about people’s ancestry or house membership
- Public challenges made without witnesses
- Personal attacks that bring shame to family or wilp
These actions:
- Dirty blankets
- Undermine credibility
- Harm youth watching
- Damage long-term relationships between houses
Digital behaviour is still governed by ayaawx.
7. Consequences of Interference
Consequences vary depending on severity and may include:
- Public correction during a feast
- Requirement to apologize or make amends
- Loss of trust or credibility
- Loss of witnessing privileges
- Damage to the individual’s standing within their own house
Historically, wilps took interference very seriously because it could lead to inter-house conflict.
8. Why Interference Is So Serious
Interference threatens:
- The stability of hereditary governance
- The integrity of adawx
- The legitimacy of territorial rights
- Family relationships across generations
- The respect due to matriarchs and chiefs
Ayaawx looks far ahead — seven generations — and interference creates long shadows.
9. Proper Conduct for Youth and Adults
Everyone is expected to:
- Know their place
- Speak respectfully
- Confirm facts with their matriarchs
- Avoid assumptions about others’ origins
- Remember that careless words can be costly to the wilp
- Wait to speak until they have full authority and knowledge
Knowledge is power, but humility is protection.
10. Core Teaching
You must know where your voice belongs. Your voice is strong when it speaks for your own house; it becomes dangerous when it reaches into another. Ayaawx teaches us to protect the harmony between wilps by knowing our place, respecting boundaries, and speaking only what we have the right to speak.
This page provides general teachings only. No restricted house histories, names, or internal disputes are included.