Postsecondary degree attainment for American Indian college students at predominantly White institutions has consistently been the lowest among any ethnic and/or racial group for the past three decades. A plethora of studies have been conducted to examine the experiences of Native students at mainstream institutions within the conceptual framework of Vincent Tinto's interactionalist's theory whether in segments or in its entirety. Tinto's model considers, among other variables, prematriculation characteristics and dispositions of students including the influence of family, postsecondary aspirations, components of informal and formal academic integration, and the phenomenon of transient transition of students through institutional assimilation. Today, the retention and graduation of college students is the bedrock of conversations on quality and accountability in the field of higher education and Tinto's model has served as one of the catalysts for policy and program development in this area of study. In keeping with this model, this study examines the experiences of American Indian college students at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP) to determine the applicability of this particular model and its Western paradigm to an examination of Indigenous students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]