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Elders  in  Indigenous  Australian  Communities  

In  Indigenous  Australian  communities  the  “Elders”  

often   play   an   important   role.     The   Elders   are  

usually  senior  male  members  of  a   language  group  

who   are   selected   and   initiated   to   be   “ritual  

leaders”  based  on  their  personal  qualities  (such  as  

kindness  and  bravery)  and  their  knowledge  of   the  

group’s   laws   and   culture.1     Increasingly,   women  

are  becoming  initiated  Elders  as  well.  

 

When  Are  People  Elders?  

Indigenous   communities   are   often   hierarchical  

structures,   and   the   Elders   can   be   extremely  

powerful   in   their   communities.       They   are  

repositories   of   the   group’s   laws   and   culture   and  

make   sure   it   is   passed   on   to   future   generations.    

Indigenous   Australians   reveal   their   culture   bit   by  

bit  to  the  younger  generations,  and  the  Elders  are  

those  people  who  are  initiated  and  entrusted  with  

this  task.2      

 

The   road   to   becoming   an   Elder   can   take   many  

years.     The   idea   is   that   the   Elders   learn   through  

their   own   life   experience   as   well   having   the  

knowledge  that  was  passed  down  to  them.    As  one  

Tjurkurpa   woman   said,   “Elders   watch   children  

grow,   and   when   they   are   ready   to   move   to   the  

next  level  they  go  through  ceremonies  to  move  to  

                                                                                                                         1  AIJA,  Benchbook  Chapter  2:  Aspects  of  Aboriginal  Australia.    Available  at  http://aija.org.au/Aboriginal%20Benchbook%202nd%20Ed/Chapter%202.pdf,  accessed  22  November  2013.  2  Creative  Spirits,  “Respect  for  Elders  and  culture”.      Available  at  http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/people/respect-­‐for-­‐elders-­‐and-­‐culture,  accessed  22  November  2013.  

the   next   level   of   learning.     All   learning   and   life   is  

part  of  a  movement  from  circle  to  circle  outwards  

until   you   become   an   Elder   in   the   outer   circle,  

protecting  and  caring  for  all.”3  

 

The  Role  of  Elders  in  the  Community  

The   Elders   assume   many   functions   in   their  

communities,   including   dispute   resolution   and  

ceremonial   duties.     As   discussed   in   “Indigenous  

Australians   and   the   Justice   System”,   Elders   often  

participate   in   “circle   sentencing”   procedures   that  

combine   traditional   forms   of   justice   with  

Australia’s   court   system.     Elders   assume  

responsibility   for   sacred   objects,   spiritual  matters  

and  the  performance  of  ritual.    

 

The   Elders   are   vested   with   custodianship   of   the  

Law.     Their   overriding   duty   is   to   honor   and  

maintain   the   Law,   and   pass   it   down   to   the   next  

generation.4     They   help   make   decisions   for   the  

community   regarding   communal   matters,   and  

educate  the  young  on  the  ways  of  their   lands  and  

their  traditional  connections.      

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                         3  Claudia  Doman,  “A  peak  into  the  journey  to  Aboriginal  Eldership”.    Available  at  http://www.canberra.edu.au/monitor/2011/march/31_aboriginal-­‐eldership,  accessed  22  November  2013.  4  AIJA,  Benchbook  Chapter  2:  Aspects  of  Aboriginal  Australia.    Available  at  http://aija.org.au/Aboriginal%20Benchbook%202nd%20Ed/Chapter%202.pdf,  accessed  22  November  2013.  

     

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Female  Elders  

Depending   on   the   community,   Elders   will  

sometimes  include  female  Elders  who  stand  equal  

to  the  men.     In  earlier   times,   it  was  assumed  that  

only  men  performed  significant  tasks  in  regards  to  

law   and   ritual.     This  was   apparently   the   result   of  

women  leaving  their  lands  to  move  to  the  lands  of  

their   new   husbands,   and   therefore   being  

unfamiliar  with  local  lore  and  territory.5    This  myth  

has   since  been  disproven  and  now   there   is  a   vast  

amount   of   knowledge   of   the   roles   that   women  

play  in  their  community’s  law  and  spiritual  life.  

 

In   many   communities,   women   possess   separate  

rituals   and   customs,   sometimes   referred   to   as  

“women’s   business”.     This   complements   that   of  

the  men.  “Women’s  business  may  extend  to  other  

rights  and  duties,   including   land   relationships.       It  

appears  that  women,   like  men,  gain   in  power  and  

prestige   as   they   grow   older:   women   with   strong  

spiritual   and   personal   qualities   may   achieve   a  

status   similar   to,   but   separate   from,   that   of  

Elder.”6     Either   way,   the   role   of   women   in  

Indigenous   groups   is   much   stronger   than   once  

thought.  

 

                                                                                                                         55  AIJA,  Benchbook  Chapter  2:  Aspects  of  Aboriginal  Australia.    Available  at  http://aija.org.au/Aboriginal%20Benchbook%202nd%20Ed/Chapter%202.pdf,  accessed  22  November  2013.    6  AIJA,  Benchbook  Chapter  2:  Aspects  of  Aboriginal  Australia.    Available  at  http://aija.org.au/Aboriginal%20Benchbook%202nd%20Ed/Chapter%202.pdf,  accessed  22  November  2013.  

Contemporary  Challenges    

Increased   urbanization   and   the   advent   of   new  

technology  such  as  television  and  video  games  has  

had   an   adverse   affect   on   Indigenous   traditions  

across   the   board.     Knowledge   of   and   respect   for  

the  Elders  is  no  different.    As  Indigenous  academic  

Stephen  Hagan  says,  ““What  hope  is  there  for  our  

existing  Elders,  especially  those  in  rural  and  urban  

areas,  to  take  our  youth  for  walks  into  the  bush  to  

learn  of   the  old  ways  or   to  sit  around  a  camp  fire  

on   the   banks   of   the   river   to   hear   of   their  

connection  to  country?”7    Even  those  living  in  rural  

communities  are  not  engaging  with  their  lands  and  

with  their  Elders.  

 

There  is  a  growing  sense  that  Elders  are  losing  the  

respect  of  their  communities,  especially  among  the  

younger   generations.     Communal   discussion   and  

council   meetings   once   chaired   by   Elders   are   no  

longer   held,   and   Elders   feel   they   are   competing  

“for   the   attention   of   young   Aboriginal   boys   and  

girls”   with   consoles   and   American   television.8    

There   are   fears   that   thousands   of   years   of  

traditional   culture   will   not   be   passed   down   to  

future   generations.     As   Stephen   Hagan   also   said,  

“Our  best  chance  of  not  totally  losing  our  young  to  

these   contemporary   competing   interests   is   to   tell  

our  stories  through  another  medium  –  book,  stage  

or  film  –  so  when  the  time  comes,  and  they’ve  had  

                                                                                                                         7  Creative  Spirits,  “Respect  for  Elders  and  culture”.      Available  at  http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/people/respect-­‐for-­‐elders-­‐and-­‐culture,  accessed  22  November  2013.  8  Creative  Spirits,  “Respect  for  Elders  and  culture”.      Available  at  http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/people/respect-­‐for-­‐elders-­‐and-­‐culture,  accessed  22  November  2013.  

     

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their  fill  of  modernity,  it  will  be  there  for  them.”9  

 

Either   way,   it   is   clear   that   Elders   still   play   a  

significant   part   in   Indigenous   Australian  

communities.    Only  time  will  tell  if  their  traditional  

roles   remain,   or   if   communities   will   need   to  

develop  new  forms  of  ritual  and  governance  better  

adapted  to  the  times.      

 

Questions  and  Answers  

1) Which   of   the   following   is   NOT   true   in  

regards   to   Elders   in   indigenous  

communities?  

a. They   are   chosen   for   their  

personal   qualities,   including  

honor  and  bravery.  

b. They   are   repositories   for  

traditional  law  and  culture.  

c. Everyone  becomes   an   Elder   at   a  

certain  age.  

d. Both   men   and   women   can   be  

initiated  as  Elders.  

2) Which  of  the  following  best  describes  the  

work  of  an  Elder?  

a. To   pass   down   knowledge   of   the  

law  and  custom.  

b. To   act   as   a   judge   and   jury   in  

criminal   matters   in   the  

community.  

c. To   physically   punish   those   who  

cause   disturbance   in   the  

community.  

                                                                                                                         9  Creative  Spirits,  “Respect  for  Elders  and  culture”.      Available  at  http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/people/respect-­‐for-­‐elders-­‐and-­‐culture,  accessed  22  November  2013.    

d. To   manage   the   finances   of   the  

community.  

3) What   are   some   of   the   challenges   facing  

the   traditional   role   of   Elders   in   their  

communities?  

a. Badly  behaved  youth  who  do  not  

show  them  any  respect.  

b. Urbanization,   technology   and  

popular  Western  culture.  

c. Poor   health   among   older  

Indigenous  Australians.  

d. Drugs  and  alcohol.