Resistance Theory and the Transculturation Hypothesis

29isolated case of the intimate, personal journey of one man. It was not the only case.Other students related experiences of some type of reconciliation. Few were asdramatic as the case described above. However, virtually all described some period ofsorting through their situation and arriving at the conclusion to use their ethnic identityas personal strength. Therefore, such moments, this transculturation threshold,appears to be a critical moment in the formation and projection of the transculturatedcultural mask. It was during this time that the culturally traditional American Indiancollege students in this study moved from the estranged cultural mask to atransculturated one.3. Ability to Engage Two Cultural Settings: One of the least recognized and understoodaspects of the transculturated experience is the ability for an American Indian toeffectively engage the cultural setting of non-Indians without assimilation. The conceptof transculturation incorporates the idea that American Indian college students need notnecessarily relinquish their Native ways in order to be successful. Rather, thetransculturation hypothesis assumes that American Indian students simply increasetheir cultural repertoire adding the skills needed while keeping their Native heritageintact. As such, the individual is conceptualized as fully capable of interaction with twodifferent cultures without cultural loss.The transculturated students of this study clearly demonstrated this ability. Theyevidenced a capacity for cultural learning and relearning that positioned them totraverse cultures.29