When I first met the Inuit, I was able to communicate with them almost immediately even if I did not speak Inuktitut. They came to me easily, maybe because they considered me an elder. In the Inuit culture, being an elder counts. “Elders” are considered culture-bearers. Respect is not only a matter of one’s chronological age: elders are perceived as role models who serve as advisors, philosophers and professors.