My thesis analyses contemporary Indigenous school stories from the perspective of Tribal Critical Race Theory (TribalCrit) which exposes as meritocracy, colour-blind evaluations of success, white privilege, and equal opportunity (Brayboy, 2001, 2005). It investigates how authors deploy and subvert the conventions of young adult (YA) school stories to unmask and confront enduring colonial legacies in educational contexts in a moment that Indigenous youth activism (e.g. One Mind Youth Movement; Center for Native American Youth; Anishinabek Nation) is gaining ground.