Tribal Colleges and Universities fulfill the vision of tribal higher education that is rooted in cultural knowledge and builds tribal nations. Indigenous cultural knowledge and practices are essential to building the health and wellness of tribal communities. Tribal Colleges and Universities play a critical role educating a skilled workforce in cooperation with tribal government and tribal entities. The history of education among Indigenous people since the arrival of Europeans in North America in the late 1400s to present-day is fraught with failed policies and political misdeeds. Tribally controlled education is a remedy for those failures. Among the characteristics of tribally controlled education are curriculums derived from Indigenous ways of knowing; multigenerational teaching (particularly finding ways for elders to bring their knowledge into schooling); inclusion of ceremonial, social, political, and economic knowledge and practices throughout the educational process; and, most important, a focus on restoration of tribal languages, cultural practices, and relationship with the land. This is nation-building--upholding the values and traditional knowledge and practices of each unique tribal nation, contributing to the development of leaders and administrators, and ensuring that all tribal citizens know their history and advocate for and serve as activists for tribal sovereignty. This article emphasizes that the support of tribal leadership development and effective governance practices are an important contribution of Tribal Colleges and Universities to tribal nation-building.