Enhance your citations
These guidelines build upon and enhance (rather than replace) standard citation styles, such as APA, MLA, and Chicago Manual of Style. When writing your papers and projects, you should still follow the designated citation style(s) required as directed by your course instructor.
Students wishing to Indigenize their citations as outlined in this guide should check with their instructor first.
Addressing an Indigenous Elder or Knowledge Keeper by their title is a sign of respect. There are many titles that may be preferred, including Elder, Old One, Knowledge Keeper, and Kookum.
Camosun Style recommends students ask the person you are citing and/or writing about how they want to be referred to.
Indigenous Names Resource for Instructors
Use this resource, created by Natasha Parrish, Education Developer for Indigenization, to enhance and infuse your teaching practice by including Indigenous language in your classroom assignments.
This link opens in a new windowMuch of the information on this page has been informed and inspired by Gregory Younging's 2018 book, Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous People.
Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing by and about Indigenous Peoples by 
This link opens in a new windowCiting well means recognizing and respecting the different ways we engage with knowledge, with various teachings, and one another.
Indigenous style uses capitalization to acknowledge or demonstrate respect for Indigenous identities, institutions, and collective rights.
Younging states, "Indigenous style uses capitals where conventional style does not. It is a deliberate decision that redresses mainstream society's history of regarding Indigenous Peoples as having no legitimate national identities; governmental, social, spiritual, or religious institutions; or collective rights." (p. 77)
Capitalize terms used to describe Indigenous Peoples. This includes nouns and adjectives referring to specific groups. See below for examples of the types of terms which should be capitalized.
If you are unsure if you should capitalize a term, if possible, "ask the Indigenous Peoples at the centre of the content how they view the term." (p. 77)
Indigenous identities
| Aboriginal | E.g., An exhibition of Aboriginal artists took place at the Songhees Wellness Centre. |
| Indigenous Peoples | E.g., This course examines historical and contemporary policies and practices concerning Indigenous Peoples in New Zealand, Australia and the United States. |
| Inuit | E.g., The Jerry Cans' music incorporates folk, rock, and punk sounds with Inuit throat singing. |
| Métis | E.g., Katherena Vermette, a Métis author from Winnipeg, won the Atwood Gibson Writer's Trust Fiction Award. |
|
First Nation / First Nations |
E.g., Tsartlip First Nation is one of five communities that are part of the W̱SÁNEĆ Nation. E.g., The plan transfers autonomy over fishing to First Nations in coastal BC. |
| Indigenous | E.g., Camosun college is home to approximately 1,100 Indigenous students. |
| Survivor | E.g., She is an Intergenerational Survivor of Canada's residential school system. |
Indigenous institutions
| Chief | Elder | Clan |
| Oral Tradition | Traditional Knowledge | Protocols |
| Potlatch | Wampum Belt | Vision Quest |
| Warrior Society | Longhouse | Sweat Lodge |
EXAMPLE
Wampum Belts have been created by Indigenous governing bodies to signify contracts, peace treaties, marriage proposals, and alliances between Nations.
Indigenous collective rights
| Indigenous Title | Traditional Territory | Treaty Right |
| Status Indian | Indigenous Right | Indigenous Land |
EXAMPLE
Camosun College campuses are located on the Traditional Territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples.
For more in-depth information about capitalization, including additional terms and examples, see Elements of Indigenous Style... pages 74-98.
Personal names
Many students experience confusion around "which name to cite?" when Indigenous authors, creators, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers; many have Indigenous (Traditional, Spiritual, Hereditary) name(s) and an English name. Different names may be used in different contexts, names may kept private or made public in certain situations, and a person may also not have more than one name.
Further complicating matters, it can be hard to know whether an Indigenous author has chosen to use a specific name or naming convention on their publication, or if it the formatting was a decision of the publisher.
If you have the opportunity to ask the person (for example, you are interviewing an Elder of Knowledge Keeper):
If this information is was not specified and you cannot ask (for instance, you are quoting a scholarly source):
Keep in mind:
Names of Peoples
Always use the names that Indigenous Peoples use to name themselves.
The English versions of names Indigenous Peoples use to describe themselves may have changed, and continue to change, over time. Elements of Indigenous Style... describes acceptable situations for using names that may not be in current use. These include:
For more information see Elements of Indigenous Style... page 102.
