Research Guides: Indigenous Knowledges and Perspectives: Terminology

Terminology

Terminology resources
Search terms

The following resources help inform the terminology you use when referring to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.

Terminology Guide (Office of Indigenous Initiatives at Queen's University)
Indigenous Foundations (From the University of British Columbia)
First Nations, Metis and Inuit – Indigenous Ontologies (FNMIIO)
The National Indigenous Knowledge and Language Alliance (NIKLA) and the CFLA-FCAB Indigenous Matters Committee – Red Team Joint Working Group on Classification and Subject Headings released this living document, which is a list of Indigenous names to better reflect how Indigenous people currently prefer to refer to themselves.
Indigenous Terminology Guide (From the University of Waterloo)
Terminology page (From Honouring Indigenous Peoples (HIP))
A rose by any other name is a mihkokwaniy (From Chelsea Vowel's blog, âpihtawikosisân)

As you are searching for resources through various databases, you will find that historical documents may use terminology that is inappropriate or insensitive when referring to Indigenous Peoples. In addition to this, the descriptions of resources, such as those found in the library record, may also contain harmful and insensitive language.

Before you start your search, keep in mind that over the years various names have been used to refer to Indigenous peoples in Canada and other Indigenous groups around the world.

As a result, any of the following terms could be used in your search:

Indians of North America - the standard Library of Congress subject heading still used by libraries. In Canada, many library groups are working on creating new subject headings that are more culturally sensitive.
Native peoples, Native Canadians
First peoples
Aboriginal Peoples - frequently used in Australia, and is falling out of use in Canada. The distinction of 'Peoples' makes this term inclusive to First Nations, Metis, and Inuit, the three distinct Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
Indigenous Peoples - popularized by international organizations, and can be used in an international context. It is also used in a Canadian context to replace the term 'Aboriginal Peoples.'
First Nations / Inuit / Metis - legal designations for separate, distinct Indigenous Peoples within Canada.

In addition to these terms, Indigenous Peoples are often identified by colonially-imposed names for specific nations (i.e. Iroquois, Huron), linguistic or cultural groups (i.e. Athapascan "Indians", Plains "Indians"), or by their traditional names (i.e. Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee).

Subject headings

Introduced in the late 1800s, the Library of Congress Subject Headings is evidence of the colonial history of classification in libraries. This means that offensive language continues to be a part of the controlled vocabulary which is used to find information. For example, "Indians of North America" is currently still an official subject heading and libraries and library groups are working on initiatives to change such subject headings to be more respectful and inclusive. At Queen's University Library, we are currently in the process of modifying "Indians of North America" to "Indigenous Peoples."

Examples of subject headings that you can use to find materials about Indigenous Peoples in the library catalogue:

Indigenous Peoples
Indians of North America -- Canada

Keyword searching

Unlike subject headings, which are standardized and controlled vocabulary, keyword searching is using words you think best describe your topic and which are likely to have been used by the author(s), for example. Use the "Terminology resources" tab to help you come up with keywords for your search on Indigenous topics. Depending on the keywords you select/use, you will either narrow or broaden your search (view the "Search Tips & Strategies" section below for more information and examples).

Search tips & strategies

Vary your search terms and use Boolean operators to expand or limit your search results
- The term Indigenous is broadly used to describe many peoples worldwide.
- Use terms such as First Nations, Métis, Inuit or specific names of Nations to refine your search results.
Be aware of modern terminology
- Outdated terms will produce results from older sources. Terms like "Indian" are rarely used in literature today outside of certain historical or legal contexts, such as The Indian Act. Many Nations use authentic names that differ from names created by colonists (example: Nlaka'pamux rather than Thompson River Salish). Use self-descriptive terms to find recent work by and/or about communities.
Use terms people use to describe themselves
- There may be multiple commonly used terms to refer to the same Nation/Band/people (ex: Cree and Néhiyaw). Search both terms individually or use Boolean searching constructions to find results containing either terms (Cree OR Néhiyaw).
Search relevant databases available through the library
Research authors
- Indigenous authors may self-identify in their bio or on their website. *Note while researching: be cautious of assumptions about a person's identity based on appearance or stereotypical expectations; appearance is not a reliable indicator of one's racial, ethnic, cultural, or national background.

The "Search Tips & Strategies" content on this page was reused from a Research Guide entitled "Indigenous Education" By NorQuest College Library under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. We thank them for sharing these with us so that we may learn from them.

Referring to Indigenous topics, peoples, and authors

When writing on Indigenous topics, it is important to note that there is not a consensus among Indigenous peoples as to preferred terminology. In Canada, "Indigenous" is usually considered the most appropriate collective term for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. Still, a common best-practice is referring to the person or community in question as specifically as possible. For example, you would refer to John Sabourin as a “Dene artist” rather than simply “an Indigenous artist.” Following a person’s self-determination is critical.

Scholars writing on Indigenous issues will often choose the terminology they use thoughtfully, and may explain their choices in a footnote.

For more detail as to best practices, the following links contain useful explanations:

Terminology when writing about indigenous people (From Indigenous foundations, University of British Columbia)
Aboriginal identity and terminology (From Indigenous foundations, University of British Columbia)
Indigenous peoples: terminology and identity (HillNotes, December 14, 2015. Research and Analysis from Canada’s Library of Parliament)
Reporting in indigenous communities (Geared more toward journalistic writing)

Another issue of wording to be cognizant of as you write about Indigenous peoples is the implication that they somehow "belong" to the Canadian state. Examples include phrasing along the lines of "Canada's Indigenous people" or "Indigenous Canadians." Indigenous nations have existed for millennia before the creation of Canada – for this reason, many Indigenous people do not identify as Canadian whatsoever, and referring to them as such undermines their Indigenous nationality.

Terminology introduction

First, there is no across-the-board agreement on a term. The fact that all Indigenous peoples have not settled on one term really seems to bother some people. I would like those people to take a deep breath, and chill out. It’s okay. Names are linked to identity, and notions of identity are fluid. (Vowel, 2016, p. 8)

Vowel, C. (2016). Indigenous Writes : A guide to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit issues in Canada. Portage & Main Press.

Library of Congress

Why am I seeing “Indians of North America”?

“Indians of North America” is the official subject heading for the Library of Congress Classification System, which Queen’s follows. Recognizing that this term is both outdated and harmful, there has been a movement within Canadian libraries to adjust subject headings to be more appropriate. This is something the Queen’s Library hopes to undertake with other Canadian universities as part of the Collaborative Futures project. Still, the continued existence of this offensive subject heading is an opportunity to reflect on and confront Indigenous peoples’ marginalization within academia and cultural institutions in general.