Library
WATCH
Watch the video Indigenous Information Literacy - Chicago Elder Citation (1:12-3:14).
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:
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/
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.
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.
Numbers in parentheses refer to specific chapters and sections in The Chicago Manual (18th ed.)
Unlike other personal communications, Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers should be cited in the notes and in the bibliography.
1. First Names Last Name, (Traditional Names [if applicable]), Nation/Community, Treaty Territory [if applicable], City/Community they live in [if applicable], Topic/Subject of communication [if not mentioned in the text], interview [specify only if not clear from the text], month day, year.
Last Name, First Name (Traditional Names [if applicable]). Nation/Community. Treaty Territory [if applicable]. City/Community they live in [if applicable]. Topic/Subject of communication. Interview, month day, year.
1. Delores Cardinal, Goodfish Lake Cree Nation, Treaty 6, lives in Edmonton, Oral Teaching, interview, April 4, 2004.
Cardinal, Delores. Goodfish Lake Cree Nation. Treaty 6. Lives in Edmonton. Oral Teaching. Interview, 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.
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:
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.
Cardinal, Delores. Goodfish Lake Cree Nation. Treaty 6. Lives in Edmonton. Oral teaching. 4 April 2004.
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.
Treaties may be cited as legal documents/legislation or as primary documents/archival materials.
Red Deer Polytechnic recognizes that our campus is situated on Treaty 7 land, the traditional territory of the Blackfoot, Tsuu T’ina and Stoney Nakoda peoples, and that the central Alberta region we serve falls under Treaty 6, traditional Métis, Cree and Saulteaux territory. We honour the First Peoples who have lived here since time immemorial, and we give thanks for the land where RDP sits. This is where we will strive to honour and transform our relationships with one another.