Among Native American middle and high school students, academic performance test scores have been low in comparison to national averages. The purpose of this quantitative research study is to describe the relationships between the cultural determinants of personal incentives of behavior and sense of self to identify how culture may influence the general school motivation of Native American middle and high school residential students in a multi-tribal school environment. The Inventory of School Motivation (ISM) instrument is used to assess the motivational behavior determinants that are related to culture. One hundred and fifteen Native American middle and high school residential students from Santa Fe Indian School were assessed using the ISM to identify the cultural determinants of personal incentives of behavior and sense of self, two of the major cultural components of general school motivation. The data generally reveal a positive correlation between the seven personal incentives of behavior and three senses of self determinants among the Native American middle and high school residential students sampled, with 13 of 21 correlations being statistically significant. The cultural determinants explained 62% of variance in student responses. The three determinants of greatest importance to the Native American residential students are found to be sense of purpose (future), striving for excellence, and recognition. This study finds statistically significant relationships between the cultural experiences of Native American students within their personal incentives of behavior and sense of self, and compares the relative importance of specific aspects of these incentives in explaining general student school motivation. The results are consistent with the existence of positive correlations between the cultural determinants of a Native learner's personal incentives of behavior and their sense of self. The findings from this study will be useful for school teachers and administrators seeking to develop culturally supportive learning practices to improve overall academic achievement. [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.]