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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Style specific advice
The IKAT provides examples in APA style, however these can be adapted to the Chicago style. The Chicago manual section 14.136 suggests treating secondary sources of Indigenous Knowledge with caution as they may be inappropriate. Section 14.137 outlines how to cite an Indigenous Elder or Knowledge Keeper directly (see below). Check with your lecturer if you plan to use the IKAT principles in your work.
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. In Chicago style, reference list entries for personal communications are not usually needed.
In-text citation
Format
(Indigenous Person’s Surname Year)
Reference list
Format
Indigenous Person’s Surname, First Name (Traditional Name [if applicable]). Year. Nation/community. Treaty territory [if applicable]. Where they live [if applicable]. Topic/subject of communication. Interview, month, day.
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.
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