If the information has been recorded (e.g., as an audio file or an interview transcript), follow the ordinary directions for citing the appropriate form of media.
If the information was not recorded, but was gleaned from a personal interaction, use a modified form of the personal communication citation. (You do not need to provide a reference list entry if following APA 7)
Example:
Following a series of conversations with Joseph Turnipseed (Tulalip Nation, lives in Portland, Oregon, personal communication, September 2017), we discovered connections between…
Use the person's name, nation or indigenous group, location or other appropriate details, and cite it as "personal communication".
Example:
(Carolin Jennings, Cherokee Nation, lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, personal communication, October 2019)
If the format is an oral teaching it should follow the same guidelines noted for a paraphrase or direct quote:
Name of Elder/Knowledge Keeper with year of communication.
Delores Cardinal described the nature of the... (2018).
OR
The nature of the place was... (Cardinal, 2018).
Note: If you would like to approach an Elder or Knowledge Keeper for teachings, remember to follow protocol or if you are unsure what their protocol is, please ask them ahead of time.
Format:
Last name, First initial., Nation/Community. Treaty Territory if applicable. Where they live if applicable. Topic/subject of communication if applicable. personal communication. Month Date, Year.
Example:
Cardinal, D., Goodfish Lake Cree Nation. Treaty 6. Lives in Edmonton. Oral teaching. Personal communication. April 4, 2004.
For more information on Elder & Knowledge Keeper citation, check out the video and example on APA citation from the ebook Indigenous Information Literacy, by Rachel Chong from Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
This book outlines best practices for working with Indigenous print and oral sources in academic research. (KPU Open Education)