A long standing history of poverty and isolation continues in American Indian communities throughout South Dakota. Dakota Wesleyan University's native American students thus enter college with difficult family situations, substantial personal alienation, negative self-images and self-expectations, and a lack of career direction. Dakota Wesleyan is in a unique position to provide much needed educational services to the American Indians in the state. The institute has committed funds for an American Indian studies program, and provides both liberal arts and career preparation. Dakota Wesleyan offers two courses to meet general education oral communication requirements: fundamentals of speech communication and interpersonal communication. Most Indian students avoid such courses because the public speaking emphasis is alien to the Indian culture. These courses have begun to take into account such cultural differences as the belief that it is disrespectful to speak out in public and a sense of organization that does not always follow the thesis/support format. The experiences of native American students in these courses suggest that instructors must consider cultural differences and be sensitive to the special needs of these students. (HTH)