In the 1960s an increasing number of Native Americans began to express the need for an Indian college or university. Three major developments of the decade inspired them. The first was the rise of Indian activism in the 1960s. The second major development was the package of socioeconomic reforms of the Great Society, inaugurated by President Lyndon Johnson beginning in 1964. The third was the notion of "Indian self-determination," which surfaced as a concept in the 1960s and became an established policy in the 1970s. These three forces culminated in the establishment of two campuses in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Navajo Community College (NCC) came into existence largely because of available Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) funds, and Deganawidah-Quetzalcoatl University (D-QU) because of Indian activism. NCC is reservation-based and D-QU is somewhat urban-based because it is located near Davis, California. Both came into existence because of the drive and motivation of the founders. (Contains 71 notes.)