When citing Indigenous oral traditions and traditional knowledge, if the information has been recorded or is recoverable (e.g. a book, published interview, video), use the appropriate referencing type and cite it in the text and in the reference list as a YouTube video, etc.
If you spoke to an Indigenous person and the information is not recorded or recoverable (and they were not your research participant), treat it as a personal communication, and only include it in the text, not in the reference list, but add additional information (persons full name, Indigenous group, location, personal communication, date/date range you conversed with them).
Parenthetical citation: When you use another person’s ideas or words in your text, include the author’s name and publication date in brackets, generally at the end of the sentence, e.g. ... services closer to home (Bishop, 2024).
Narrative citation: If you use the author’s name as part of a sentence, include the date of publication in brackets, generally at the beginning of the sentence, e.g. Bishop (2024) argued that time was ...
Author (iwi (tribe, nation the person belongs to), where they live (city, country), personal communication, Month Day, Year).
... when researching (Manuhri Huatahi, Ngāti Kauwhata, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, lives in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa).
We spoke with researcher Manuhiri Huatahi (Ngāti Kauwhata, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, lives in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa, personal communication, January 12, 2022) about liaising with Māori academics.
Note: Ensure the person agrees to their name, iwi, and preferred name for the city (e.g. Tāmaki Makaurau or Auckland) being included in your writing and confirm that the information you are presenting is accurate and appropriate.
For more information, see the APA 7th manual pp. 142-145, 260-261.
If you are an Indigenous person sharing your own experiences/knowledge, do not use personal communication or provide a reference list entry; describe yourself in the text (e.g. what iwi/nation you belong to and where you live).