Effects of bicultural competence and racial identity on intrinsic motivation: The mediating role of belonging to Native American tribal colleges

•Native American college students who report greater levels of bicultural competence also exhibit higher levels of intrinsic motivation.•Native American college students who report greater levels of racial centrality and private regard, two key components of racial identity development, exhibit greater levels of intrinsic motivation.•The impact of bicultural competence and racial identity components on intrinsic motivation is mediated belongingness; greater bicultural competence, racial centrality, and private regard lead to a greater sense of belonging to the tribal college, which in turn influences levels of intrinsic motivation. Since the arrival of Europeans in the Americas, Native Americans (NA) have experienced historical trauma (Brave Heart & DeBruyn, 1998). However, sources of socio-cultural resilience continue to exist within this population (Kirmayer et al., 2011). Rather than pathologize NAs, we attempt to better understand the implications of their sources of socio-cultural resilience. We sought to examine how bicultural competence and racial identity affect intrinsic motivation and how these relationships are mediated by a sense of belonging. Self-reported data for this study was gathered from a sample of NAs (N = 219) attending a tribal college. Results suggest that bicultural competence and the racial identity dimensions of racial centrality and private regard are related to intrinsic motivation, and these relationships are mediated by a sense of belonging. These findings suggest that tribal colleges are a likely source of socio-cultural resilience, facilitating success for NAs in an ever-changing world.