Reciprocity is not a simple concept when talking about Aboriginal culture. It can mean many different things depending on the situation it is used to define. Reciprocity can be the idea of ​​caring for your relatives as they will for you. It could be the give and take between families and communities where everyone shares what they have. Reciprocity could be held responsible for the actions of your relatives. It could be the approximately equal exchanges conducted between neighboring communities. It could be the taking of one life in exchange for another. Reciprocity can mean taking care of things so that they are there when required. Reciprocity partly has to do with survival, for example when sharing food and supplies. Eckermann (2010, p. 102) defines reciprocity this way: Principles of reciprocity are patterns of sharing based on clear rules and regulations, which define the rights, duties and obligations of individuals within the structure of their network of kinship. They exist in all Aboriginal communities. The way these principles manifest themselves, however, differs in different communities and different forms of family organization. Reciprocity is a word not often used by Aboriginal Australians because it is simply their way of life, it is inherent to their way of life. It's largely about respect, respect for all things. Aboriginal communities obviously differ from each other, however the core ideals of each include reciprocity. This essay will explore the many aspects of reciprocity within Aboriginal culture. This will be explored in relation to the social, economic, political and spiritual spheres of Aboriginal life respectively. Reciprocity in the social sphere of Aboriginal life is primarily...... middle of paper......, Aboriginal environmental impacts, UNSW Press, Sydney.Mowaljarlai, D & Malnic, J 1993, Yorro yorro = Everything standing up aware: spirit of the Kimberley, Magabala Books, Broome, Western Australia.Sercombe, H 2005, 'The survival of the Indigenous economy : theoretical approaches', Ngoonjook, no. 27, pp. 63-75, accessed 29 April 2011, http://search.informit.com.au.ezlibproxy.unisa.edu.au/fullText;res=APAFT;dn=200602520Tibbett, K 2004, 'Risk and economic reciprocity: a analysis of three regional Aboriginal food-sharing systems in late Holocene Australia, Australian Archaeology, n. 58, pp. 7-10.Watson, I 2000, 'Kaldowinyeri-Munaintya: in the Beginning', Flinders Journal of Law Reform, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 3-17.Watson, I 2002, Watching you, watching me: Aboriginal culture and history of south-eastern South Australia, vol. 1, Nairne, South Australia.