ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book describes a huge step toward filling this gap by providing close analysis of the goals and processes for teaching reading and writing skills to children in Indigenous languages. It also describes writing practices within one Cherokee immersion school in the US state of Oklahoma. The book illustrates the importance of the characteristics of the writing system utilized in teaching Indigenous languages, and together offer powerful evidence that the balance of learnability, acceptability, and transparency greatly matters. It suggests that moving away from established schooling norms, even if long-standing and grounded in local cultural practices, is linked with student writing gains and development. The book discusses the creative writing practices employed by Teacher Samua, many of which disrupted or directly challenged the state curriculum in order to nurture Safaliba language, culture, and literacy.
