ABSTRACT
There is increasing evidence of the connection between culture, identity, and wellbeing. The supporting of strong identities of Indigenous young people is beginning to emerge in Indigenous education policy, and Indigenous people (Elders, families, communities) have been advocating for many years that schools play a role in ensuring that the positive identity affirming of Indigenous young people happens in schools. In this chapter we explore how schools can be at risk of reproducing racialised ideas about Indigenous identities and how schools can counter these narratives through the voices and lived experiences of Indigenous peoples. We share findings from a study that centred the voices of Indigenous young people on how they represent their identities and provide teachers with practical ways of incorporating identity-affirming practices in their classrooms.
