Indigenous Knowledge Citation Generator

Your citations

Enter the person's name and their Nation or community to see your citations.

How to Use the Indigenous Knowledge Citation Generator

1. 1. Ask first. Before you write anything down, ask the Elder or Knowledge Keeper whether you may include their name and what they shared, and how they would like to be named. Follow their community's protocol — if you are unsure what it is, ask ahead of time.
2. 2. Choose how the knowledge was shared. A conversation that was not recorded is cited differently from a recording or a publication anyone can find.
3. 3. Enter the details they agreed to. Their name and their Nation or community, and — only if they want them included — their treaty territory, where they live and a description of the teaching, with the date you spoke.
4. 4. Check with them, then copy. Show the person how you have described and cited what they shared, and confirm that it is accurate and appropriate to share.

APA 7's Guidance and the MacLeod Template

APA 7 (Publication Manual §8.9) separates two cases. Traditional Knowledge or an Oral Tradition that has been recorded — a video, an audio recording, a transcript, a book — is cited in the format of that source, with a reference list entry. Knowledge shared with you directly and not recorded is cited in the text only, as a variation of the personal communication: the person's full name, their Nation or specific Indigenous group, their location or other relevant details, the words personal communication, and the date you spoke. APA asks you to make sure the person agrees to be named and confirms that what you present is accurate and appropriate.

Lorisia MacLeod (James Smith Cree Nation) argues that the personal communication format puts an oral teaching "on the same footing as a quick phone call." In 2018 she and the staff of NorQuest College's Indigenous Student Centre created templates that give an Elder or Knowledge Keeper a full reference list entry, and she explains each element in her 2021 article in KULA: Knowledge Creation, Dissemination, and Preservation Studies. NorQuest College Library publishes the current versions in its APA and MLA guides. The templates are not part of official APA or MLA Style, so check that your instructor or publisher accepts them.

Indigenous Knowledge Citation Examples

These examples use placeholder details, not a real person or teaching — replace each placeholder with what the person has agreed to.

Writing About Indigenous Knowledge Respectfully

• Capitalize as APA does. Indigenous, Indigenous Peoples, Elder, Knowledge Keeper, Oral Tradition, Traditional Knowledge and the names of specific Nations take capitals; APA notes that the capitalization shows respect for Indigenous perspectives.
• Name the specific Nation. Write the Nation or community the person names. MacLeod points out that this element resists treating hundreds of distinct Indigenous communities as one group.
• Not every teaching is yours to share. Some stories are told only at certain times of year or by certain people. Leave out anything the person does not want written down.
• Read older sources with care. APA warns that older works about Indigenous Peoples may be inaccurate or inappropriate to share, and Chicago 18 (§14.136–14.137) likewise prefers acknowledging oral sources directly to relying on older secondary accounts.
• Research participants are different. If the person took part in your own study, quote them as a participant; the personal communication form is for knowledge shared with you outside your research.
• Ask about their name. MacLeod recommends asking whether the person would like their name in their own language included, alongside an English name if they wish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite an Elder in APA 7?

If the teaching was not recorded, cite it in the text only: the Elder's full name, their Nation or community, any other relevant details such as where they live, the words personal communication and the date — for example, Firstname Lastname (Nation, lives in City, personal communication, April 4, 2024). APA does not include it in the reference list, and asks you to confirm the person agrees to be named.

Do Elders and Knowledge Keepers go in the reference list?

Not in official APA or MLA Style, where an unrecorded conversation is cited in the text only. The template by Lorisia MacLeod and NorQuest College gives them a full reference list entry, and many institutions accept it. Ask your instructor or publisher which approach they want.

Who created the Elder and Knowledge Keeper citation template?

Lorisia MacLeod, a librarian from James Smith Cree Nation, created it in 2018 with the staff of the NorQuest College Indigenous Student Centre. She describes the templates and the reasons for each element in "More Than Personal Communication: Templates for Citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers" (KULA, 2021), and NorQuest College Library keeps the current versions in its citation guides.

How do I cite a recorded oral history or teaching?

Cite the recording as the kind of source it is — APA names whoever published it as the author, adds [Video] or [Audio recording] after the title, and gives the platform and URL. Name the Elder or Knowledge Keeper and their Nation in your sentence. For a book, an article or a podcast episode, use the format for that source.

What date do I use?

The date you spoke with the person, as exactly as you can. If you learned from them over several meetings, give a month, a year or a range. APA is explicit that the date is when you consulted them, not when the knowledge originated.

Is there a Chicago style format?

Chicago 18 added sections on citing secondary sources of Indigenous knowledge and citing Indigenous sources directly (§14.136–14.137). This generator formats APA and MLA; for Chicago, follow those sections and your instructor's guidance.