Two self-defeating assumptions represent recurrent themes in the literature of American Indian education. One assumption explains Indian educational underachievement as stemming from value conflicts with the dominant culture; the second explains underachievement on the basis of poverty and isolation. The two assumptions imply that the Indian lacks motivation, that his cultural orientation prevents him from achieving educationally, and/or that widespread poverty--with its resultant social and physical isolation--intensifies the first two conditions. The present study found an inverse relationship between favorable attitudes toward education and Indian cultural identification. A large majority of the 46 Indians who were given the study questionnaire were positively predisposed to continue their education at the college level. The sample was composed of 16 full-time college students, 13 part-time college students, and 17 college-eligible high school graduates who had never enrolled in college. The study found that conditions of limited income did affect educational advancement. Lack of motivation to pursue college programs was not found. Increased education was found to be positively associated with increased identification and/or acceptance of the white culture. (JH)