Indian/Tribal Studies are the bedrock upon which 22 tribally controlled community colleges have been built since the mid-1950s. These colleges have put substantial resources, personnel, and time into building Indian/Tribal Studies programs into flagship academic, cultural, and language institutes. They exhibit common traits including tribal charters and control; objectives committed to enhancement, preservation, and teaching of tribal culture and Indian studies; focus on transfer and vocational/occupation programs; and dedicated boards, faculties, administrators, and staff. Through development of remedial programs, Associate of Arts and Science Degree curricula for students transferring to four year systems, and vocational/occupation programs, tribal colleges have assisted in meeting challenges threatening to destroy their way of life: economic hardship, artificial governments, dependency on the welfare state, alcohol induced health problems, foreign religions, and poor educational attainment. While Indian/Native American Studies programs in most private or state higher educational institutions are among the first to feel the effects of retrenchment, such programs are treated with respect in tribally controlled schools and will emerge as natural leaders in the effort to provide Indian/Tribal Studies at the higher education level. Present and future success of tribal colleges is due to the advocacy developed by today's tribal college leadership in Washington, D.C. (NEC)