Indigenous Resources

This video will introduce you to citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers. As you watch, consider what defines an Elder or Knowledge Keeper.

Indigenous Information Literacy: Elder Citation Chicago by Rachel Chong at KPU Library (2020).

Citing the Traditional Knowledge and Oral Histories of Indigenous peoples may occur in several different ways:

1. If the information is recorded in a format that can be found again (e.g. video, audio, interview transcript), cite it in the text and include an entry for that type of source in your reference list.

Mumilaaq Qaqqaq notes that "mumi is dance (in Inuktitut) and laaq is little one" (Neary, 2019, para. 13).

Neary, D. (2019, Nov. 13). Quaqqaq to bring NDP leader Jagmeet Singh to Nunavut. Nunavut News. https://nunavutnews.com/nunavut-news/qaqqaq-to-bring-ndp-leader-to-nunavut/

2. If you spoke directly with an Indigenous person, use a version of the citation format used for personal communications:
   You should include the person's full name along with the nation or specific Indigenous group that they are a part of.  If there are other details that are relevant, such as location, include that information too. Next, write "personal communication" and the specific date when the communication took place. It is important that you ask for permission to include the person's name in your assignment.

Mary Two-Axe Earley (Kanien'kehá:ka [Mohawk] elder, from the reserve of Kahnawà:ke, Quebec, Canada, personal communication, March 1995) explained how the Indian Act discriminated against First Nations women. She described... 

Not included in Reference List.

3. If you are an Indigenous person sharing your own experiences or the Traditional Knowledge or Oral Tradition of your people, include a description of yourself as part of the text to help add context about where the information originated. For example, you may want to consider including the nation you belong to. 

Be very careful when working with published works, especially older works, to ensure that the information about Indigenous peoples is accurate and appropriate to share. For example, some stories are told only at certain times of year or by certain people.

Tips

• See the APA Manual (8.9) for more information and examples.

The formal APA style does not have a format for Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers so NorQuest College has developed this citation style in the spirit of wahkôhtowin and reconciliation. It has been adapted with their permission. 

Unlike other personal communications, Elders and Knowledge Keepers should be cited in-text and in the reference list. The in-text citation format should follow the same guidelines: 

Delores Cardinal described the nature of the... (2004).

OR

The nature of the place was... (Cardinal, 2004).

The citation format for the reference list follows the following format:

Last name, First initial. Nation/Community. Treaty Territory if applicable. Where they live if applicable. Topic/subject of communication if applicable. personal communication. Month Date, Year.

Example:

Cardinal, D. Goodfish Lake Cree Nation. Treaty 6. Lives in Edmonton. Oral teaching. Personal communication. April 4, 2004.

The formal MLA style does not have a format for Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers so NorQuest College has developed this citation style in the spirit of wahkôhtowin and reconciliation. It has been adapted with their permission. 

In-Text Citation

Unlike most other personal communications, Elders and Knowledge Keepers should be cited in-text and in the reference list. The in-text citation format should be formatted as:

Citation Format

The citation format for the reference list follows the following format:

1. Last name, First name.

2. Nation/Community.

3. Treaty Territory if applicable.

4. City/Community they live in if applicable.

5. Topic/subject of communication if applicable.

6. Date Month, Year.

Example

Cardinal, Delores. Goodfish Lake Cree Nation. Treaty 6. Lives in Edmonton. Oral teaching. 4 April 2004.

Note

If you would like to approach an Elder or Knowledge Keeper for teachings, remember to follow protocol or if you are unsure what their protocol is, please ask them ahead of time.

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).

General Format

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.

Example

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.

Note

Treaties may be cited as legal documents/legislation or as primary documents/archival materials.