Our laws and teachings
(ǧvi̓ḷás), are passed down through words and actions through the generations. These provide guidance about our rights and responsibilities to the land and sea, how and where we gather and tend our foods and materials, and how we interact with each other. These laws and teachings can be embedded in a local group’s ancestral stories or
"núyṃ́".
They are reflected in our principle of c̓ísḷá - to take care of, to safeguard, to look after, and in the concept of ɫáxvái - power and responsibility for what is dear to us.
A chief’s ɫáxvái comes from the place for which he is responsible/has authority. An individual’s ɫáxvái comes from the land to which he/she is connected by history, ancestry, experience, feels a presence and draws strength.
"Every river had a big chief... He had to look after the rivers, all the rivers. He had to always made sure that enough went through the spawning grounds..."
- Fred Reid
"To say, "this is our territory" it means a lot for our people. It means that we need to take care of it ourselves. For whatever we take care of, you know in the end that will take care of ourselves. I know in... go back to my parents. They always taught me never to waste anything. Even the carcasses for the salmon was used for bait and we used it for forests. To say that this is our territory we look at what our grandfathers did and said to us."
- Yím̓ás Wígviɫba Wákas Harvey Humchitt
Taking Care vs. Stewardship
At Húy̓at, as elsewhere, our laws and principles are reflected in respecting each other’s harvesting areas, including asking permission, sharing what we harvest, and respecting the other life forms that are dependent upon the same resources. Respect is practiced when tending the land and sea to maintain resilience and even increase abundance. For the Heiltsuk, our laws and principles cannot be separated from the places where they originated and evolved and continue to be practiced — places like Húy̓at.
Yím̓ás Qvíɫtákv Earl Newman describes the Heiltsuk traditional system of management in the context of rights and title.
