30 Elders & Knowledge Keepers: Terminology

Elders & Knowledge Keepers or Traditional Knowledge Keepers are terms used often synonymously. Different Indigenous Peoples prefer different terms. Be sure to confirm the preferred terminology for the people you are working with. (Wicihitowin Conference Committee, 2017)

As Nisga’a scholar Amy Parent states “Elders have considerable cultural knowledge and expertise, and are highly respected because of their actions and leadership in a community. Age is not a factor in order for one to become an Elder. Elders become accepted by the community because they are deemed to have good speaking sills, are listened to, and share their knowledge with others” (Parent, 2018, p. 67-8)

As highlighted in the diagram above, Elders or Knowledge Keepers will emerge where cultural knowledge, wisdom, and community identification overlap.