Abstract: This paper articulates a curricular approach that centers on a Native American Service Learning course. Social work students engage in cross-cultural immersion on a reservation in the United States. By examination of historical United States policy impacting Indian Tribes, contemporary experiences that challenge basic instruction in public schools, students examine the social work profession’s complex role in participation with as well as eradication of entrenched social problems. Implications for social work education include an examination of transformative learning theory and service learning pedagogy as tools for the creation of democratic civic engagement in social work leadership. A preliminary evaluation of the course suggests student growth in self-awareness, critical thinking, and cultural competency.