Traditions

‘Who are you calling an elder? I am just older’

We are asking everyone to participate in our quest to find a definition for the term 'elder'

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Another birthday for our Brian Bull brings, as he says, “a few more wrinkles, a few more gray hairs and the mention of the word ‘elder’ from fellow natives,” leaving him questioning what the term elder actually means and if he deserves the title. Does it mean something different for everyone? Or is there a consensus? As a reminder this is Brian’s column.

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We asked people on social media to participate in our quest to find out, sparking an interesting conversation sparked a few days ago on the Indian Country subreddit. Here are a few comments that Brian found intriguing.

CajunMan50: “An elder to me is anyone 50 or older. They are to me the librarians of our own history, customs and languages.”

Ogijchida18: “An elder is not about age. I cannot speak on behalf of all Anishinaabeg/Ojibwe people, but our Elders are typically people who the community turn to either for life advice, spirituality, ceremonies, language, or other forms of knowledge. Simply being 65+ does not make you an Elder.”

FeatherHails: “All my ‘Elders’ would at most call themselves old man / old woman, which in our language carries greater meaning than in English.”

Buffalo’s Fire invites you to share your thoughts: What in your community defines an elder? Who gets to be one? And if you are considered an elder among your tribe, when did you realize that you’d become recognized as one? Share on our socials! The story is on Instagram, Reddit, TikTok, Substack, Facebook, Bluesky, and X.

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