Date of Conferral

9-23-2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Education

Advisor

Kristy Motte

Abstract

The problem that was addressed through this study was that little is known regarding attempts at higher education persistence and tribal nation-building affecting each other among American Indian (AI) undergraduate college students in Oklahoma. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of AI undergraduate students enrolled at a college or university in Oklahoma regarding higher education persistence and tribal nation-building. Astin’s theory of student involvement was the conceptual framework that guided this study because of its focus on the connection between student involvement and persistence. The research question addressed how AI undergraduate students describe their experiences regarding their ability to persist in higher education and contribute to tribal nation-building. A basic qualitative design with semistructured interviews was used to explore the experiences of five AI participants who were either currently enrolled in college or who earned their degrees in the last 5 years. Therefore, the results of this study have to be interpreted with caution as data saturation could not be reached due to the small population size. Data analysis using the six steps of thematic analysis produced four themes: participants have a desire to make meaningful contributions and leave a legacy, college enrollment strengthened tribal connections for participants, support networks fostered persistence, and a lack of social capital disadvantages AI students. The study findings have the potential for positive social change by providing recommendations on how to support AI undergraduates seeking to persist in college.

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