Indigenous authors
Acknowledging Indigenous authors in APA style
General format
Acknowledge Indigenous authors using in-text references and in reference lists by adding their nation, country and/or language group after their name.
In-text citation
Parenthetical
(Surname, Nation/Country/Language group, Year)
(Cromb, Gamilaraay, 2022)
Narrative
Surname (Nation/Country/Language group) (Year)
Cromb (Gamilaraay) (2022)
Reference list
Following are some examples of the most common reference types. Please see the resource Indigenous referencing guidance for Indigenous knowledges for comprehensive guidance on a wider range of sources.
Book (including online book)
Author, A. A. (Nation/Country/Language group), & Author, B. B. (Nation/Country/Language group), & Author, C. C. (Nation/Country/Language group). (Year). Book title: Subtitle (ed.). Publisher. URL
Chapter in an edited book
Author, A. A. (Nation/Country/Language group), Author, B. B. (Nation/Country/Language group), & Author, C. C. (Nation/Country/Language group). (Year). Title of chapter. In A. A. Author (Nation/Country/Language group), B. B. Author (Nation/Country/Language group) & C. C. Author (Nation/Country/Language group) (Eds.), Book title: Subtitle (ed., pp. ). Publisher. URL
Website
Author, A. A. (Nation/Country/Language group), & Author, B. B. (Nation/Country/Language group). (Year). Title of webpage. Website Name. URL
Journal article
Author, A. A. (Nation/Country/Language group), Author, B. B. (Nation/Country/Language group), & Author, C. C. (Nation/Country/Language group). (YYYY). Title of article: Article subtitle. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), Pages. URL - DOI or non-DOI
Examples
Book
Moreton-Robinson, A. (Goenpul). (2020). Talkin' up to the white woman. University of Queensland Press.
Chapter in an edited book
Larkin, S. (Kungarakany & Yanyula). Race and the Indigenous social work academic in the Australian academy. In B. Bennett (Gamilaraay) & S. Green (Galari Wiradyuri) (Eds.), Our voices: Aboriginal social work (2nd ed., pp. 31-46). Red Globe Press.
Website
Cromb, N. (Gamilaraay). (2022). So whose 'Voice' is it anyway? IndigenousX. https://indigenousx.com.au/so-whose-voice-is-it-anyway
Journal article
Couzens, V. (Keerray Wooroong; Gunditjmara). (2018). Woman spirit - weerreeyaar; Weerreeyaar - woman spirit. The Lifted Brow, 40, 60. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.036973519792855
Writing about Indigenous peoples
Terminology
The Australians Together Language and Terminology Guide states that writers should use the terms Indigenous people/s or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people/s.
Use bias-free language when referring to racial and ethnic identity. See the APA's style and grammar guidelines for examples of problematic and preferred descriptions of racial and ethnic identity (with explanatory comments).
Spelling and capitalisation
Capitalise the words used to refer to First Nations people, i.e. Indigenous, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, First Nations. Avoid using acronyms, i.e. ATSI, TSI. Do not capitalise the word people/s, i.e. Indigenous people. Please see the AIATSIS resource, Australia's First Peoples.
Affiliation
Include an attribution of the author/s affiliation (Nation, Country, or Language group) in both the in-text citation and reference list entry (Indigenous Archives Collective et al., 2023). The Indigenous Archives Collective (2023) recommend that you do not make assumptions about someone's affiliation unless it is explicitly mentioned.
Writing guides
- Indigenous referencing guidance for indigenous knowledges
Created by the Indigenous Archives Collective and the UTS Jumbunna Institute of Indigenous Education and Research. The Indigenous Knowledge Attribution Toolkit contains a decision tree to establish whether the sources are appropriate and a citation guide for culturally sensitive attribution. - Elements of indigenous style: A guide for writing by and about Indigenous Peoples
A guide to help writers, editors, and publishers produce material that reflects Indigenous people in an appropriate and respectful manner. Gregory Younging (Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Northern Manitoba), has been the managing editor of Theytus Books, the first Aboriginal-owned publishing house in Canada, for over 13 years. Elements of Indigenous Style evolved from the Theytus house style guide developed to ensure content was consistent and respectful. - Australians together: Language and terminology guide
This language and terminology guide contains tips to promote respectful conversation, dispel myths and increase awareness and understanding.
Resources are created by applying the Australians Together Learning Framework and are developed with First Nations educators to ensure they are authentic and transformative. - Australia's First Peoples
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) guide to language use when referring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. AIATSIS is Australia's only national institution focused exclusively on the diverse history, cultures, and heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Acknowledgments
This page was adapted from James Cook University Library's APA Referencing Guide for First Nations Works and the Indigenous Knowledge Attribution Toolkit.
Indigenous Archives Collective, Faulkhead, S., Thorpe, K., Sentence, N., Booker, L., & Barrowcliffe, R. (2023). Indigenous referencing guidance for Indigenous knowledges. Indigenous Archives Collective and the UTS Jumbunna Institute of Indigenous Education and Research. https://members.caval.edu.au/indigenous-referencing-guidance Copyright 2023 CC BY-NC-SA
James Cook University Library. (n.d.). First Nations works. APA (7th edition) referencing guide. https://libguides.jcu.edu.au/apa/First-Nations Copyright 2023 by James Cook University Library CC BY-SA 4.0 International License