Indigenous Studies

APA Seventh (7th) Edition

Formal APA style does not have a format for citing information from Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers. NorQuest College has developed the following citation style in the spirit of wahkôhtowin and reconciliation, and the staff at the NWP Learning Commons thank them for making it available. Unlike other personal communications, Elders and Knowledge Keepers are cited in-text and in the reference list.

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.

In-Text Citations

Format

The in-text citation should follow the same guidelines noted for a paraphrase or direct quote:

Name of Elder/Knowledge Keeper with year of communication.

Examples

When you use the name of the Elder/Knowledge Keeper in your sentence:

Delores Cardinal described the nature of the ... (2018).

When you do not use the name of the Elder/Knowledge Keeper in your sentence:

The nature of the place was... (Cardinal, 2018).

Reference List

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.

APA Manual

The following information comes from the APA Publication Manual 7th Edition. Oral Traditions and Traditional Knowledge of Indigenous peoples are treated as a distinct source category.

Bias-Free Language

(5.7): When writing about Indigenous People, use the names that they call themselves . . . In Canada, refer to the Indigenous Peoples collectively as "Indigenous Peoples" or "Aboriginal Peoples"; specify the nation or people if possible (e.g., People of the First Nations of Canada, People of the First Nations, or First Nations people; Métis; Inuit). (p. 144)

In-Text Citations and Research

As explained in Section 8.9 (pages 260-261) of the APA 7th edition manual, the protocol for citing Traditional Knowledge, Oral Traditions, Traditional Stories, and/or Oral Histories of Indigenous Peoples depends on the type of source, as explained below:

• If the information is recoverable by readers (e.g., recorded in audio/video, transcript, book, article), cite the source as you would any other source of that type both in-text and in the reference list
• If the information is not recoverable (e.g., oral interview or discussion), follow the Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers format linked above for reference list entries and in-text citations.
  • If you are an Indigenous person and plan to include your own experiences or Traditional Knowledge in an APA paper, describe yourself using similar relevant details. However, there is no need to cite yourself in the reference list or in a personal communication citation like the one above.
     

Other Tips

• When reading published works about Indigenous Peoples, be sure to critically consider whether the information is accurate and appropriate, especially if the works are older, as these may contain biases or inaccurate/misleading information.
• Capitalize words for specific groups (e.g., Cree, Ojibwe) and culture-related words (e.g., the Creator, Creation, Elder, Traditional Knowledge, Oral Tradition, Vision Quest). This demonstrates respect for Indigenous perspectives.
• When including information about Indigenous Peoples or traditions in your paper, work closely with Indigenous individuals to ensure that the information is shared appropriately, accurately, and in a way that preserves the integrity of Indigenous perspectives, including in matters of copyright and authorship.