Looking to learn more about the Indigenous topics such as treaties, land rights, historical events, residential school system, and more? Check out some of our other guides that can help you find resources to further your understanding.
The McGill Guide does include some basic instructions for citing various Indigenous legal documents. Remember - these tips and examples were created by a librarian, please check with your instructor, assignment instructions, and/or official style guides for specific details. For more information about legal research, please see our Canadian Law LibGuide (link below):
General Format = Title, date, pinpoint, online: title of website <url> [archived URL] [Treaty short form].
e.g. The James Bay Treaty - Treaty No. 9 (Made in 1905 and 1906), online: Government of Canada <https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100028863/1581293189896> [https://perma.cc/XF68-A4XJ] [Treaty 9].
| Element | Description |
| Title |
Provide full name & italicize e.g. The James Bay Treaty - Treaty No. 9 (Made in 1905 and 1906), online: Government of Canada <https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100028863/1581293189896> [https://perma.cc/XF68-A4XJ] [Treaty 9]. |
| Date |
Provide only if not indicated in title e.g. Treaty No. 10 and Reports of Commissioners, 1907, online: Government of Canada <https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100028874/1581292941464> [Treaty 10]. |
| Pinpoint |
No additional instructions given for this resource type. Use abbreviations for paragraphs (para/paras) or sections (s/ss) before citing page number. See information on pinpoints in the McGill Guide p. E-13. e.g. The James Bay Treaty - Treaty No. 9 (Made in 1905 and 1906), para 19, online: Government of Canada <https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100028863/1581293189896> [https://perma.cc/XF68-A4XJ] [Treaty 9]. |
| Title of website |
No additional instructions given for this resource type. Italicize. e.g. The James Bay Treaty - Treaty No. 9 (Made in 1905 and 1906), online: Government of Canada <https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100028863/1581293189896> [https://perma.cc/XF68-A4XJ] [Treaty 9]. |
| URL |
No additional instructions given for this resource type. e.g. The James Bay Treaty - Treaty No. 9 (Made in 1905 and 1906), online: Government of Canada <https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100028863/1581293189896> [https://perma.cc/XF68-A4XJ] [Treaty 9]. |
| [Archived URL] |
No additional instructions given for this resource type. The McGill Guide specifies to include archived links using the Perma.cc, however, UFV Library does not subscribe to this service and users who create an individual accounts only get 10 free links before having to pay for a subscription. Check with your instructor if this element is required. If including, place in square brackets []. e.g. The James Bay Treaty - Treaty No. 9 (Made in 1905 and 1906), online: Government of Canada <https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100028863/1581293189896> [https://perma.cc/XF68-A4XJ] [Treaty 9]. |
| [Treaty Short Form] |
No additional instructions given for this resource type. e.g. The James Bay Treaty - Treaty No. 9 (Made in 1905 and 1906), online: Government of Canada <https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100028863/1581293189896> [https://perma.cc/XF68-A4XJ] [Treaty 9]. |
For more information on citing Indigenous Treaties & Land Claims and official examples, see the McGill Guide 4.2.5.2 (p. E-64).
For legal citations, the APA 7th edition states "give enough information in the in-text citation to enable readers to locate the entry in the reference list" and that "most in-text citations consist of the title and year" (p. 357). Check with your instructor if they have specific instructions.
Parenthetical citation: (Treaty Title, Year)
e.g. ... (Treaty No. 10, 1907)
Narrative citation: Treaty Title (Year)
e.g. As outlined in Treaty No. 10 (1907) ...
The McGill Guide states "When referring to Indigenous constitutional documents, include basic, critical information, so that readers can track the source" (p. E-27).
| Element | Description |
| Title |
"If the document title is not in English or French, provide a description in parentheses or a translation in square brackets. Do not italicize such additional information." (p. E-27) e.g. Nipissing Gichi-Naaknigewin (Nippissing First Nation Constitution), (2014). Nunatsiavut Constitution Act, CIL 31-12-2012 N-3, online (pdf): <www.nunatsiavut.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/CIL-31-12-2012-N-3-Nunatsiavut-Constitution-Act.pdf> [perma.cc/ZC35-89XB]. (example from McGill Guide p. E-28) |
| Date |
No further instructions given for this resource type. e.g. Nipissing Gichi-Naaknigewin (Nippissing First Nation Constitution), (2014). Nunatsiavut Constitution Act, CIL 31-12-2012 N-3, online (pdf): <www.nunatsiavut.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/CIL-31-12-2012-N-3-Nunatsiavut-Constitution-Act.pdf> [perma.cc/ZC35-89XB]. (example from McGill Guide p. E-28) |
| Pinpoint |
When citing pinpoints for statutes use s (section) or ss (plural). Note: this is a general rule for statutes and not specific for Indigenous Constitutions. e.g. Sto:lo Xwexwilmexw Shxwelmexwelh (Sto:lo People's Constitution), (2020). Sto:lo Xwexwilmexw Treaty Association, s 10.1, online (pdf): <https://www.sxta.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/200823_STOLO_Constitution_Revised_final.pdf>. |
| URL |
No additional instructions given for this resource type. Formatting followed according to example in McGill Guide. Website name listed, followed by comma and "online": indicate if it is a PDF. Place within < >. e.g. Sto:lo Xwexwilmexw Shxwelmexwelh (Sto:lo People's Constitution), (2020). Sto:lo Xwexwilmexw Treaty Association, online (pdf): <https://www.sxta.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/200823_STOLO_Constitution_Revised_final.pdf>. |
| [Archived URL] |
No additional instructions given for this resource type. The McGill Guide specifies to include archived links using the Perma.cc, however, UFV Library does not subscribe to this service and users who create an individual accounts only get 10 free links before having to pay for a subscription. Check with your instructor if this element is required. If including, place in square brackets []. Note: this is a general rule and not specific for Indigenous Constitutions. e.g. Nipissing Gichi-Naaknigewin (Nippissing First Nation Constitution), (2014). Nunatsiavut Constitution Act, CIL 31-12-2012 N-3, online (pdf): <www.nunatsiavut.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/CIL-31-12-2012-N-3-Nunatsiavut-Constitution-Act.pdf> [perma.cc/ZC35-89XB]. (example from McGill Guide p. E-28) |
For more information on citing Indigenous Constitutions and official examples, please refer to section 2.2 in the McGill Guide.
For legal citations, the APA 7th edition states "give enough information in the in-text citation to enable readers to locate the entry in the reference list" and that "most in-text citations consist of the title and year" (p. 357). In the APA 7th edition, examples given for in-text citations only include articles and titles; the examples below have been modified to fit with the more general instructions. Check with your instructor if they have specific instructions.
Parenthetical citation: (Constitution Title, year)
e.g. ... (Sto:lo Xwexwilmexw Shxwelmexwelh, 2020)
Narrative citation: Constitution Title (year)
e.g. As outlined in the Sto:lo Xwexwilmexw Shxwelmexwelh (2020) ...
According to the McGill Guide "When referring to Indigenous legislative documents, include basic, critical information, so that readers can track the source" (p. E-21).
e.g. Tk'emlups te Secwepeme Property Tax Law, 2017, s 4, online (pdf): Tk'emlups <tkemlups.ca> [perma.cc/BV5R-5LW3]. (example from McGill Guide p. E-21)
| Element | Description |
| Title |
"If the document title is not in English or French, provide a description in parentheses or a translation in square brackets. Do not italicize such additional information." (p. E-21) Property Taxation Act, 2009, s 10, online (pdf): Tsawwassen First Nation <https://tsawwassenfirstnation.com/pdfs/TFN-Laws-Regulations-Policies/Laws/Laws/Property_Taxation_Act_WEB_17_Nov_2020.pdf> |
| Year |
No additional instructions given for this resource type. Shuswap First Nation Financial Administration Law, 2015, s 8, online (pdf): Shuswap First Nation <http://www.shuswapband.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/FAL.pdf> |
| Pinpoint |
No additional instructions given for this resource type.. Following format in example - use 's' for section/'ss' for sections. Property Taxation Act, 2009, s 10, online (pdf): Tsawwassen First Nation <https://tsawwassenfirstnation.com/pdfs/TFN-Laws-Regulations-Policies/Laws/Laws/Property_Taxation_Act_WEB_17_Nov_2020.pdf> |
| URL |
No additional instructions given for this resource type.. Formatting followed according to example in McGill Guide. Link is preceded by "online:" indicate if it is a PDF in brackets, list website name (italicized) before URL. Place within < >. Property Taxation Act, 2009, s 10, online (pdf): Tsawwassen First Nation <https://tsawwassenfirstnation.com/pdfs/TFN-Laws-Regulations-Policies/Laws/Laws/Property_Taxation_Act_WEB_17_Nov_2020.pdf> |
| Archived URL |
No additional instructions given for this resource type.. The McGill Guide specifies to include archived links using the Perma.cc, however, UFV Library does not subscribe to this service and users who create an individual accounts only get 10 free links before having to pay for a subscription. Check with your instructor if this element is required. If including, place in square brackets []. Note: this is a general rule and not specific for Indigenous Constitutions. e.g. Tk'emlups te Secwepeme Property Tax Law, 2017, s 4, online (pdf): Tk'emlups <tkemlups.ca> [perma.cc/BV5R-5LW3]. (example from McGill Guide p. E-21) |
For additional information and official examples, see p. E-21 in the McGill Guide.
For legal citations, the APA 7th edition states "give enough information in the in-text citation to enable readers to locate the entry in the reference list" and that "most in-text citations consist of the title and year" (p. 357). Check with your instructor if they have specific instructions.
In-text parenthetical citation: (Title, Year)
e.g. (Shuswap First Nation Financial Administration Law, 2015)
Narrative citation: Title (Year)
e.g. Tk'emlups te Secwepeme Property Tax Law (2017)
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