[4] Elders provide support for their communities in the form of guidance, counselling and knowledge, which help tackle problems of health, education, unemployment and racism,[5][6] particularly for younger people.
[3] Elders play an important role in maintenance of culture, songs, oral histories, sacred stories, Aboriginal Australian languages,[7] and dance, and are also educators who demonstrate leadership and skills in resolving conflicts.
Elders also preside over ceremonies and other spiritual practices, and attend to the health and well-being of young people.
[8] The Dreaming Path, a book written by the first Aboriginal CEO of an Australian TAFE, Paul Callaghan, in collaboration with Ngemba elder Paul Gordon, describes the important role played by elders in Aboriginal society.
Some organisations have created formal elder-in-residence programs, such as the University of South Australia's Elders on Campus project, which helps to support Indigenous students.