The Tribal College as Family Support System

Abstract

This study asked a single question: What is it that tribal colleges are doing that might explain their success in retention of high-risk students? An ethnography of a typical tribal college identified three ways in which family support contributes to retention. These are provision of a coordinated system of social services, especially child care; incorporation of cultural familial values, knowledge, and traditions throughout the institution's operations; and location on the reservation. The reservation history is one of forced separation of families to obtain even a secondary education. There is a dramatic drop in educational attainment rates of Native American students at the point at which relocation is required. Given these facts, it is recommended that the emphasis on transfer to mainstream institutions off reservation be balanced with provision of baccalaureate and graduate degrees on the reservation.