Assertiveness training, a current preferred method of training appropriate communication skills, strives to teach a behavior which enables a person to act in his/her own interests, to express honest feelings comfortably, or to exercise one's own rights without denying the rights of others. Assertion training could be envisioned as an intervention strategy for Indians to create conditions for a new era in which their future is determined by Indian acts and Indian decisions in pursuit of entitlement to services rather than their need for services. Designed to aid educators, human development specialists, and mental health professionals in developing assertion training programs with American Indian people, the manual discusses assertive behavior; elements of Indian culture and Indian thinking; a selected assertion training model composed of instruction, modeling, behavior rehearsal and feedback; application of assertion training to express Indian rights and responsibilities; aspects of communicating messages involving combined influences, perceptions, and interpretations of mutual role expectations of Indian and white and cultural differences. Other chapters discuss Indian non-verbal communications; assertion training with Indian adults; practical and ethical considerations for trainers; and assessment of Indian assertive behavior. Appendices provide references, a workshop agenda, and suggested exercises for assertion training. (Author/ERB)