“What Am I Doing to Be a Good Ancestor?”: An Indigenized Phenomenology of Giving Back Among Native College Graduates

Abstract

Although giving back is consistently recognized as a goal of Native (Native Hawaiian, Native American, and Alaska Native) college students, little in the literature describes giving back in detail. To fill this gap, this research examines the essence of giving back as it is experienced by Native college graduates. It explores, through both Indigenous and phenomenological research methodologies, how Native college graduates come to value giving back, enact giving back, and make meaning of giving back. The findings from this study contribute to what is known about how Native college graduates may contribute to the self-determination of their nations and call for a reconceptualization of postsecondary success for Native peoples.