LibGuides: Citation Style Guidelines: Indigenous Style Guides

Acknowledging Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers

Citation formats do not have a format for Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers; NorQuest College Library developed a citation style in the spirit of wahkôhtowin and reconciliation:

Unlike most other personal communications, Elders and Knowledge Keepers should be cited in-text and in the reference list.
The citation format for the reference list follows the following format:
- Last name, First name., Nation/Community. Treaty Territory if applicable. City/Community they live in if applicable. Topic/subject of communication if applicable. Date Month Year.
- 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.

Additional Resources:

"More Than Personal Communication: Templates for Citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers"
This article by Lorisia MacLeod from the 22 Jun 2021 issue of Knowledge Creation, Dissemination, and Preservation Studies introduces citation templates and guidance that she created in partnership with the staff at the NorQuest Indigenous Student Centre.
"Chapter 6: Elder Citation" in Indigenous Information Literacy by Rachel Chong
This chapter from Chong's 2021 Pressbook includes citation templates based off of Lorisia MacLeod's work, as well as short videos on citing elders using several citation styles.

Citing Indigenous Sources

Research Guide to Citing Indigenous Sources See this guide on indigenous sources and the section on citing indigenous scholar work.