Elements of Indigenous Style: Insights and applications for the book industry - Tech Forum 2025

From acquisitions and editorial to marketing and sales teams, every team member plays a role in accurately, respectfully, and ethically championing Indigenous and traditionally underrepresented voices. This session, led by Warren Cariou, Lead Editor of the second edition of Gregory Younging’s Elements of Indigenous Style, is for book industry professionals eager to learn and apply Indigenous teachings to their work.

Using Elements of Indigenous Style as a foundation, this session delves into its mind-opening content, which goes beyond the scope of a traditional style guide. The book advocates for the indigenization of publishing and addresses topics such as culturally appropriate publishing practices; understanding identity and community affiliation; Two-Spirit, trans, and Indigiqueer contexts; practices to support Indigenous linguistic and cultural sovereignty; and emerging issues in the digital environment. Warren provides actionable recommendations and best practices for publishers working on literary projects by or about Indigenous authors, which can be applied more broadly to other underrepresented communities.

Kaitlin Littlechild from the Indigenous Editors Association brings her expertise to the discussion as the moderator.

Link to recording and transcript: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/elements-of-indigenous-style-insights-and-applications-for-the-book-industry/

Presented by BookNet Canada on February 28, 2025 with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.

1. Honouring and Extending
Gregory Younging’s Legacy:
Continuing the Conversation
Editorial Team:
Warren Cariou
Deanna Reder
Lorena Sekwan
Fontaine
Jordan Abel

2. Gregory Younging (top left) and members of
the 2015 Indigenous Editors Circle
including Deanna Reder (middle front)
and Jordan Abel (to the right of Deanna)

3. Features of the First Edition that are retained in the Second
Edition
*All of Gregory Younging’s contributions (with updates where
required), including:
-The Principles of Indigenous Style (presented in
two
formats for ease of consultation)
-Chapters One to Eight (“The First Conversation”)
-Gregory’s “Gnaritas Nullius” essay
*Most of the “Case Studies,” now re-named “Example Stories” in
order to broaden this category for new additions.

4. New Materials in the Second Edition
(“The Second Conversation”)
Chapter 8: Editorial relationships
Chapter 9: Understanding identity and community affiliation
Chapter 10: Two- spirit, trans and Indigiqueer contexts
Chapter 11: Practices to support Indigenous linguistic and cultural
sovereignty
Chapter 12: Emerging Issues in the digital environment
Appendix A: Example Stories: Models of collaboration and
Indigenization in publishing (updated with additional
contributions)
Appendix B: Guiding principles of the Indigenous Editors Association
Appendix C: Names of Indigenous Peoples (updated)

5. Chapter 8: Editorial relationships
-Identifies the power dynamics and heirarchies of conventional publishing and research
practices, and the damage these have caused.
-Promotes relational editing practices,based upon Indigenous modes of relating, and
highlighting the importance of humility, respect, reciprocity and shared responsibilities
within the editing process.
-Features an important new section by Iñupiaq editor Rachel Taylor on “EditingInuit
Writing and Working with Inuit Storytellers.”This essay was the inspiration for our
highlighting of editorial relationships in this chapter and in the whole book.
-Includes a section advocating for changes in the peer review process in academic
publishing.
-Includes a section on sensitivity reading.

6. Chapter 9: Understanding identity and community affiliation
-Complexities of Indigenous Identity
-Factors affecting identity
-Endonyms and exonyms (using the terms people use for themselves)
-Moving beyond assumptions
-Preparing for public attention

7. Chapter 10: Two-spirit, trans and Indigiqueer contexts
-Definitions (and the inadequacy of definitions) in discussing 2SQT identities
-Gender-inclusive language (in Indigenous languages and in English)
-Featuring a new contribution by Oji- Nehiyaw writer Joshua Whitehead:
“Two-Spirit, Queer, and/or trans Literary Histories and Futuristic
Ethics.” This essay is the core of this chapter and it presents future- oriented
advice and observations on 2SQT literary production and editing.

8. Chapter 11: Practices to support Indigenous linguistic
and cultural sovereignty
-Publishing and Indigenous language revitalization: strategies and editorial
responsibilities. Includes advice about Indigenous language fonts and
orthographies, digitizing Indigenous language materials, and avoiding over-
standardization.
-Transcribed oral narratives: best practices for managing the transition from oral
to printed material in a respectful and accurate way.
-Indigenous Citation practices. This section examines Indigenous scholars’ efforts
to rethink the meaning and application of citation within Indigenous worldviews. It
includes an important new contribution by Cree scholar Lorisia MacLeod,
“Templates for Citing Indigenous Knowledge.”These templates are valuable
emendations to MLA and APA styles, providing improved ways of honouring
Indigenous Knowledge in citations.

9. Chapter 12: Emerging Issues in the digital environment
-Digital Publishing. This section examines some of the opportunities
that digital publishing embodies for presenting Indigenous stories and
texts in new ways. It also discusses some of the potential pitfalls of
digital publishing, especially in relation to the publication of Traditional
Knowledge.
-Artificial Intelligence. This brief section speculates on the potential
dangers of AI in relation to Indigenous cultural sovereignty, but it also
imagines the possibility that AI could be used by Indigenous artists
and scholars in a productive and respectful way.

10. Appendix A: Example Stories: Models of collaboration and
Indigenization in publishing
-Includes most of the pieces formerly gathered under the rubric of “case
studies,” plus the following new sections:
-A discussion of the University of Regina Press’s Indigenous Languages
books series.
-An essay by Anishinaabe publisher and Editor Stephanie Sinclair from
McClelland & Stewart publishers.
-An essay on the history of the Indigenous Editors Association, as well
as (Appendix B) the Guiding Principles of the IEA. (kinanaskomitin, IEA!)