This section of the guide outlines the politics and discourse surrounding citing Indigenous Knowledge and Knowledge Keepers. It also suggests additional academic resources for several contemporary topics in Indigenous citation justice, as well as popular style guide resources such as, APA, MLA, and Chicago.
This video will introduce you to citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers. As you watch, consider what defines an Elder or Knowledge Keeper.
This video includes guidance developed by Indigenous librarians at NorQuest College, UBC's X̱wi7x̱wa Library, and Simon Fraser University.
Citation Guidelines May Change!
Citations for interviews with Elders and Knowledge Keepers are relatively new, and constantly evolving. Because of this, the guidelines around how to cite this kind of information may change. If you plan on referring to Elders or Knowledge Keepers in your assignment, check this page frequently, to ensure you are following the most up-to-date guidelines on how to cite these tools.
"A number of Indigenous feminists and other scholars of colour have advocated powerfully for a more mindful and ethical consideration of our citational practices in academia. I think here especially of the work of Audra Simpson (Mohawk) and Jodi Byrd (Chickasaw), Sara Ahmed's feministkilljoys blog, and the Citation Practices Challenge by Eve Tuck (Unangax), K. Wayne Yang, and Rubén Gaztambide-Fernández—and especially that we not continue to replicate the closed circuit of white heteropatriarchy in affirming the same group of voices over and over again." (From Why Indigenous Literatures Matter by Daniel Heath Justice).
It is vital for students and scholars to consider their practices of citing sources, as these practices are part of how we attribute knowledge and ideas. These practices reflect whose voices are heard and prioritized, what counts as "knowledge," and who can be creators and holders of knowledge. There is growing movement around citational justice or citation politics, to #CiteIndigenousAuthors, a parallel to #CiteBlackWomen.
There are a range of ethical issues that are valuable to consider when citing information from Indigenous Knowledge-holders in academic or creative projects. Here are some considerations from the American Psychological Association (APA) citation system, such as being mindful of the cultural context of with whom, when, and how Indigenous stories may be shared, and considering individual and community consent to share these stories.
The official MLA 9th ed. and Chicago 18th ed. citation manuals do not provide guidelines for citing Indigenous Elders and/or Knowledge Keepers. In response, NorQuest College has developed the following templates for citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers (CC BY-NC 4.0) in the spirit of wahkôhtowin and reconciliation, and we thank them for sharing their template. For more information on the development of these templates and how to use them in practice, please see:
Lorisia MacLeod. "More Than Personal Communication: Templates for Citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers." KULA: Knowledge Creation, Dissemination, and Preservation Studies 5, no. 1 (2021). https://doi.org/10.18357/kula.135
APA 7th ed. | Citing Traditional Knowledge & Oral Traditions of Indigenous Peoples |
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Formula: | Last name, First names initials. (Elder), Nation/Community. Topic/subject of communication if applicable. personal communication. Year, Month, Date. Territory Acknowledgement of where information was shared/collected. |
Reference List: | Lekeyten. (Elder), Kwantlen First Nation. Community justice. personal communication. 2019, April, 4. Shared on the traditional unceded territory of the Kwantlen, Musqueam, Katzie, Semiahmoo, Tsawwassen, Qayqayt and Kwikwetlem Peoples. |
In-Text Citation: | (Lekeyten, 2019) |
MLA 9th ed. |
The formal MLA 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). https://doi.org/10.18357/kula.135 |
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Formula: | Last name, First names initials. (Elder), Nation/Community. Topic/subject of communication if applicable. personal communication. Year, Month, Date. Territory Acknowledgement of where information was shared/collected. |
Works Cited: | Lekeyten. (Elder), Kwantlen First Nation. Community justice. personal communication. 2019, April, 4. Shared on the traditional unceded territory of the Kwantlen, Musqueam, Katzie, Semiahmoo, Tsawwassen, Qayqayt and Kwikwetlem Peoples. |
In-Text Citation: | (Lekeyten, 2019) |
Chicago 18th ed. | 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). https://doi.org/10.18357/kula.135 |
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Formula: | 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. |
Bibliography: | Cardinal, Delores, Goodfish Lake Cree Nation, Treaty 6, lives in Edmonton. Oral teaching. Personal communication. April 4, 2004. |
Footnote: | Delores Cardinal, Goodfish Lake Cree Nation, Treaty 6, lives in Edmonton, Oral teaching, Personal communication, April 4, 2004. |
Additional Details:
Regarding Indigenous Authors:
If an author lists an Indigenous name only, list the name as it appears. It is important to remember that although names may have more than one part, both parts may make up a first name, and there may be no surname.
If an author lists an Indigenous name followed by an English name, list the Indigenous name as it appears, followed by the English name in square brackets, with the surname appearing first, followed by the first initial(s), e.g.: Hetxw’ms Gyetxw [Hudson, B.D.].
If an author lists an English name followed by an Indigenous name, list the English name with the surname appearing first, followed by the first initial(s), and the Indigenous name as it appears in square brackets, e.g.: Hudson, B.D. [Hetxw’ms Gyetxw].
Regarding Indigenous Titles:
If you include information from your own experience and/or community:
Did you speak to an Indigenous person directly to learn information?
Keep in Mind!
The following books provide additional information regarding this topic.
These scholarly articles provide insight into this topic.
These libguides from other academic libraries also provide extensive resources.