The U.S. dominant culture's values and ways of knowing depicted in college curriculum assume that American Indian/Alaska Native college students will assimilate to dominant cultural beliefs and values in order to acquire a degree in higher education. Representative of this hegemonic pedagogical paradigm is the prescribed basic communication course competencies taught at most colleges and universities in the U.S. Institutionally endowed power enables college instructors to compel students to acquiesce to dominant cultural norms and expected behaviors relevant to interpersonal, small group, and public speaking skills. In this meta-analysis, Jackson's (2002) cultural contracts paradigm demonstrates that cultural identities are socially constructed between students and faculty. Jackson's paradigm provides a theoretical lens through which to view cultural negotiation in the context of a basic communication course. Conclusions of this critical literature review include providing a clearer understanding of juxtaposition of American Indian/Alaska Native college students' traditions and the basic oral communication course competencies; an awareness of a paucity of multicultural teaching perspectives in the basic course curriculum; and recommendations for improving the learning environment.