Elders often have special skills or abilities, including knowledge of ceremonies and traditional ways and the ability to tell the stories and history of their people.  Elders are generally but not always the older members of the community.
(À titre d'exemple, l'admissibilité aux programmes ou aux prestations du gouvernement fédéral est restreinte aux Indiens " inscrits " ou " enregistrés " tels que définis dans la Loi sur les Indiens.