Publications
The Indigenous-Language Immersion (ILI) Study includes several publications that show how education through Indigenous languages helps with academic success, language revitalization, and overall wellbeing. Each publication offers a different viewpoint—from data analysis to personal stories—on the importance of education based on Indigenous languages and cultures.
2023- Journal Article
Indigenous Language Immersion Schools—The Link to Sustainable and Healthy Indigenous Community Futures
Tiffany S. Lee , Teresa L. McCarty , Kyle Halle-Erby , Thomas Jacobson , Michael Seltzer , James McKenzie , Sheilah E. Nicholas
This article argues that Indigenous futurisms must center Indigenous languages and highlights Indigenous Language Immersion (ILI) programs as present-day models that challenge colonial schooling. Drawing on a seven-year U.S.-wide study including surveys, case studies, and matched comparisons, the research shows that ILI students perform as well as or better than peers in English-medium settings. Across diverse sites, ILI schools share a relational pedagogy that strengthens academic learning, Indigenous identity, and school–community connections.
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2021 – Journal Article
“A Viable Path for Education”: Indigenous-Language Immersion and Sustainable Self-Determination
Teresa L. McCarty, Joaquín Noguera, Tiffany S. Lee and Sheilah E. Nicholas
This article explores how Indigenous-language immersion (ILI) schooling serves as a vehicle for both academic achievement and community self-determination. Drawing from case studies, the authors argue that ILI models not only support student learning in mainstream academic domains but also foster Indigenous-language revitalization, cultural identity, and relational accountability.
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2022 – Journal Article
“You Should Know the Name of the Wind Where You Live”: Relationality and Relational Accountability in Indigenous-Language Education
Teresa L. McCarty, Tiffany S. Lee, Joaquín Noguera, Winoka Yepa, and Sheilah E. Nicholas
This article examines how Indigenous-Language Immersion (ILI) schooling manifests relational accountability—connections among people, place, and the more-than-human world—through storywork. Drawing on multiple cases of ILI schools, the authors demonstrate that immersion environments that centre Indigenous languages and cultural practices contribute to academic success, language revitalisation, and community wellbeing.
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2024 – Doctoral Dissertation
Indigenous-Language Immersion and Native American Student Outcomes: Quantitative Findings from Three Case Studies
Thomas A. Jacobson, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
This dissertation presents quantitative analyses from three Indigenous-Language Immersion (ILI) schools, comparing students’ academic outcomes in English language arts and mathematics with those of peers in English-medium settings. The research demonstrates that ILI students achieve equal or higher academic performance while attaining advanced proficiency in their Indigenous languages, affirming the strength of immersion models that center language, culture, and community.
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2025 – research brief
This document presents evidence on how Indigenous-Language Immersion (ILI) schooling fosters academic achievement, language proficiency, and cultural identity among Native American students. Drawing from national data and case studies, it highlights relational, place-based pedagogies that connect learners to their communities and the natural world while advancing educational equity.
2025 – Executive Summary
This executive summary presents key findings from a nine-year study on Indigenous-Language Immersion (ILI) schooling in the U.S. The research shows that ILI students perform as well as or better than peers in English-medium programs while strengthening their language, identity, and community connections. The research shows that ILI students show steady growth in their Indigenous language oral proficiency, grammar, vocabulary, and listening comprehension.