According to American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) data, 13.8% of American Indians 25 years and older have a bachelor's degree. The single most important barrier to student success remains preparation (Adelman, 2006). Underprepared students are disproportionately students of color, students of low socioeconomic status, and students who would be the first in their family to attend college (Sparks and Malkus, 2013). Unfortunately, students who matriculate with limited educational, social, and economic resources disproportionately leave college without earning a degree or credential, limiting their abilities to achieve their goals for school and work (Adelman, Daniel and Berkovits, 2003). In the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) 2018 sample, less than one-quarter of community college students who enroll in remedial education complete a degree or certificate in eight years. Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) play a dual role in their communities: education and perpetuation of tribal customs and culture. The growing number of Indigenous students testing into and taking remediation courses at TCUs has an enormous effect on their future opportunities in education, employment, politics, and society. The purpose of my study is to take an in-depth look at developmental education within three Tribal College and University settings in the southwestern United States--Tohono O'odham Community College (TOCC), Dine College (DC), and Navajo Technical University (NTU). While much research exists on developmental education in college, very little is known about developmental education specifically at TCUs--a gap in the literature that I address with this dissertation. [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://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]