ered on her journey that she is different. She was used to being just one of the group, nothing really special. When she went abroad, people thought she was interesting and "neat" because she was "'real' Indian." She had never before left everything that she identified with, and when she did, she discovered just how much her identity meant to her. All she wanted was to be home, among people who were like her, who identified with her. Each of these authors takes a definition of identity and uses it to convey their different ideas on the subject to their audience. In each case the definition of identity is something different because each author is searching for a different answer. Jim Loney is trying to find a heritage - any heritage that will give him a sense of who he is. Scott Momaday is looking for the key to his sense of self as well, but he has a beginning point in his search, and he finds what he looking for. As for Kinlichii'nii Bitsi and her family, they all have their sense of self and their connection with their heritage, but only when the connection with their past is gone, or when they are no longer in contact with that heritage do they understand what their identity means to them and to the people they meet. As illustrated above, the definition of identity depends entirely upon each individual's perspective....
