Library Research Guides: APA referencing: Indigenous authors

Acknowledging Indigenous authors in APA style

General format

When acknowledging Indigenous authors in academic writing, add the nation, country and/or language group after the author's name in both the in-text citation and reference list.

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 or eBook

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://doi.org/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
Indigenous Referencing Guidance for Indigenous Knowledges was 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
This book provides guidelines 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 by Australians Together, contains helpful tips to promote respectful conversation, dispel myths and increase awareness and understanding. Australians Together 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

APA referencing

Indigenous authors