American Indian tribes are not often considered in comparative constitutional law but should garner more attention. Many tribes are dynamically remolding their constitutional structures. Nowhere is this dynamism more on display than in the re-shaping and re-structuring of tribal democratic institutions. The takeaway from this chapter is that tribal governments are experimenting carefully with different democratic structures, and the need for institutional change is seen as a moment of growth rather than a failure in their practice of iterative and evolutionary self-government. Reforms have become an almost natural – if not celebrated – part of perfecting their government structure.

This chapter provides an overview of teaching methods and second language acquisition theories, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of particular methods in revitalization contexts. Revitalizers must consider community desires and resources, as well as traditional worldviews and lifeways in choosing appropriate approaches. 8 case studies present practical applications of specific teaching methods: grammar-translation and a radically input-based approach in Potawatomi; reclaiming domains and ‘language nesting’ in Lushootseed; Accelerated Second Language Acquisition (ASLA), reclaiming domains and the master-apprentice method in Tolowa Deeni’; how Sámi language and culture can meaningfully shape education in the classroom; homeschooling activities and strategies for elementary age learners in Tolowa Dee-ni’; and how teachers with limited fluency teach language-rich lessons within their own level of proficiency in Chinuk Wawa, where immersion models are unrealistic. The capsules exemplify immersion programmes, culture place-based learning and other approaches in 8 languages: Hawai’ian, Kristang, Wym, Lemko, Chinuk Wawa, Sámi, Cherokee and Anishinaabemowin.