National Network for Equitable Library Service

This book presents a study conducted between 2005 and 2010 of 60 self-declared Indigenous university students from western Canada. The study explored Indigenous identity formation among these students through these central research questions: * Do conventional definitions of identity, and conventional identity formation theories, offer ways to understand the identity of these Indigenous students? * What role, if any, does postsecondary education play in the formation and/or confirmation of the identity of Indigenous students as Indigenous individuals? The study is unique for two reasons. First, little scholarly attention has been paid to Indigenous individuals' sense of identity. While the literature and research on identity is diverse, it mostly focuses on Eurocentric definitions of identity. Second, this study emphasizes Indigenous identity formation in postsecondary institutions. This book moves beyond a simple understanding of Indigenous students' concept of identity and delves into determining the role a university education can play in the development of an Indigenous individual's identity.