Americans talk about captions as if they are only for foreign films. The problem with such an assumption is that it lends an illusion that the benefit of captions does not extend past translation. This article examines the extent to which using closed-captioned video material in the college classroom can be a useful universal teaching tool in enabling Native American and Alaskan Native student achievement.

What barriers do Native American and Alaskan Native students face in higher education? How are these barriers to student success being addressed theoretically and practically? To engage these questions, this special issue of the American Indian Culture and Research Journal seeks to open this dialogue and create a compilation that professors and service providers may use to enhance American Indian studies and other academic curricula. Contributors to this special issue explore a broad range of educational, cultural competence, mental health, advocacy, and efficacy concerns.