Unlike other personal communications, Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers should be cited in the notes and in the bibliography.
The formal Chicago Style does not have a format for Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers, so these guidelines have been adapted from NorQuest College (CC BY-NC 4.0) and developed in consultation with Lorisia MacLeod (James Smith Cree Nation, MLIS).
1. First Names Last Name, Nation/Community, Treaty territory if applicable, City/Community they live in if applicable, Topic/subject of communication if applicable, Personal communication, Month Date, Year.
Last Name, First Names, Nation/Community, Treaty territory if applicable, City/Community they live in if applicable. Topic/subject of communication if applicable. Personal communication. Month Date, Year.
1. Delores Cardinal, Goodfish Lake Cree Nation, Treaty 6, lives in Edmonton, Oral teaching, Personal communication, April 4, 2004.
Cardinal, Delores, Goodfish Lake Cree Nation, Treaty 6, lives in Edmonton. Oral teaching. Personal communication. April 4, 2004.
WATCH
This video will introduce you to citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers. As you watch, consider what defines an Elder or Knowledge Keeper.
The formal Chicago Style does not have a format for Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers. This video includes guidance developed by Indigenous librarians at NorQuest College, UBC's X̱wi7x̱wa Library, and Simon Fraser University. Please note it may not align exactly with the guidance adapted from NorQuest College above.
Indigenous Information Literacy - Chicago Elder Citation by Rachel Chong at KPU Library (2021).
Treaties may be cited as legal documents/legislation or as primary documents/archival materials.