This article, focuses on the experiences of two Ivy League graduates to examine the notion of transformational resistance. Combining data from a two-year ethnographic study with follow-up interviews over a decade, the author analyzes how students acquired skills and credentials that enabled them to serve their tribal communities. Strategies of resistance through education are used to achieve autonomy and self-determination and are important for American Indians because of their unique political and legal status. The author also argues that those individuals who engage in transformational resistance often incur serious personal costs while the community benefits from their actions.