Underlying present Governmental and private objectives to institute local control over the schools on Indian reservations is the hope that such a policy will improve American Indians' sense of relevance of their own behavior to the outcome of their destiny. Although the connection between community control and sense of personal efficacy has never been established among American Indians, an interrelationship between the 2 has nontheless been hypothesized widely among scholars. In order to gain further insight into the nature of this interrelationship, this study undertook a preliminary examination of factors involved in instituting local control over the schools in the Indian communities of San Juan and Santa Clara. Interviews conducted in the 2 communities revealed that, while members of both pueblos have an interest in controlling their schools, Santa Clara has progressed much further toward actualizing this goal. Both communities have Advisory School Boards, but Santa Clara has exploited this opportunity for local control to a greater degree than San Juan and has subcontracted for complete local control over their schools. One revealing factor is that San Juan's attachment to traditional institutions and cultural patterns has served to limit the economic development and political influence of the community; in Santa Clara, commitment to modern techniques has allowed for greater diversification of the pueblo's resources and has contributed toward making this pueblo a viable community. (Author/LS)