APA 7th

Indigenous Knowledge

• Indigenous Knowledge encompasses both traditional and evolving knowledges of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in many forms including cultural language, art, stories and dance, and the written word.
• Acknowledging this in academic writing is a way to show respect and recognise expertise. It is important to honour the authority of Traditional Knowledge and Oral Traditions passed down through Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, as this knowledge deserves the same respect afforded to scholarly sources from outside Indigenous communities.

Citing Indigenous Knowledge

It’s important to attribute both:

• Indigenous Knowledge holders and peoples, and
• Indigenous Knowledges used by non-Indigenous authors.

This provides fair attribution which is often lacking due to historical misinformation, poor recordkeeping, purposeful destruction, and privileging of Western perspectives.

When citing and referencing sources of Indigenous Knowledge, you need to:

1. Critically analyse the material: Begin by considering whether the sources are appropriate. Use the decision tree on page 7 of the Indigenous Knowledges Attribution Toolkit (IKAT) to evaluate the authorship and content of the source. More detailed guidance can be found on pages 8-11.
2. Use the Citation Style Guide: Pages 12-20 of the IKAT provides guidance on citing sources by Indigenous authors, and Indigenous Knowledge used by non-Indigenous authors. All examples are in APA style. Resources should still be cited according to the format for the type of source e.g. book, article.
3. Include the Indigenous person’s Nation, Country, or Language group in your citation, if that information is available. You can often find information about an author in the contributor section of a book, or in the author's bio or online profile. Avoid assuming a person’s affiliation if not stated clearly.

Citing Oral Traditions

Information shared directly by an Indigenous person is often cited as a variation of the personal communication rule. Personal communications are usually not recorded or published and therefore are not recoverable by readers.

For further guidance, see the APA Style website - Personal Communications.

In-text citation

Reference list

Tips

• Capitalise names of specific groups and words related to Indigenous culture in your text (e.g. Elder, Country, Traditional Custodians). The capitalisation is intentional and demonstrates respect for Indigenous perspectives.
• Some Elders and Knowledge Keepers will prefer to be listed under their Traditional Name rather than their legal name, sometimes without listing a legal name also.
• Confirm all details with the Elder or Knowledge Keeper, as well as whether the information used is suitable for publication or requires additional protocols or permissions to share.

More resources

• Library databases relating to Indigenous Australians - find resources relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• The IKAT has been adapted by Deakin University into an easy-to-use online guide.
• Indigenous maps of Australia and Victoria - Includes the AIATSIS map of language, social or nation groups of Indigenous Australia, and maps of languages and cultural heritage boundaries in Victoria.
• Deadly Learning Glossary - Key terms and definitions relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Developed by Nathan ‘Mudyi’ Sentance for the Monash University Museum of Art.