Nation-building and giving back represent a cyclical relationship rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing. To give back in a postsecondary context means to acquire a college degree to help advance efforts of nation-building. Therefore, students' desire to give back is an Indigenous teaching that emphasizes relationality relationships, reciprocity, and a deep sense of nationhood (Reyes, 2019). Brayboy and colleagues (2012) theorized that persistence rates for Native American students increase when they focus on the desire to give back to a broader community rather than on themselves. Other research suggested the desire to give back influences college persistence among Indigenous students (Drywater-Whitekiller, 2010). The desire to give back also shapes Native students' reciprocal exchange of support (feeling supported and supporting other Native students), desire to nurture relationships, connection to home/land (place), and interest in altruistic behaviors (Reyes, 2019; Waterman, 2007). This study built upon earlier qualitative research using a quantitative analysis to operationalize the desire to give back. It hypothesizes that if the desire to give back is a factor for persistence among Native Americans and an association between giving back and nation-building exists, then contributing to nation-building may relate to the persistence of Native American students.