| Summary: | Tribal colleges and universities were created in the late 1960s in a context of activism and empowerment of minority discourse. Today they have multiplied and approximately 30 tribal colleges and universities exist in the United States. They no longer define themselves in complete opposition to the mainstream, a position that would not be viable due to the interconnectedness of economies and societies. Nowadays tribal colleges and universities make sure that the diplomas they deliver are in accordance with the mainstream job market. The difference lies in their sheltered setting closer to the cultural background of their students, and their native identity with language and culture courses, as well as ethnic group activities for their students. The pressure on tribal colleges and universities is economic as well as structural, economic because they depend on external financing whether federal, tribal, or private, and institutional because of the need for accreditation which is necessary for their recognition and the transferability of their credits to mainstream universities. Functioning as entirely separatist entities would be legal but utopian.
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