Information about the Tsimshian languages

Where are the Tsimshian languages spoken?

These languages are spoken in North America on the Pacific coast of Canada in the Province of British Columbia, and in some islands off Alaska in the United States.

Who speaks these languages?

The Tsimshian language speakers are members of “First Nations” in North America who inhabited the region long before Europeans arrived and before the creation of the United States and Canada.

Total number of speakers (estimated):

930 according to UNESCO

1850 according ethnologue.com (SIL)

Classification

The Tsimshian language family currently has 2 languages.

Nass-Gitksan (alternate name: Interior Tsimshian): 865 speakers according to UNESCO and 1100 according to SIL

Tsimshian (alternate names: Lower Tsimshian; Maritime Tshimshianique): 160 speakers according to UNESCO and 750 according to SIL

Comments on the classification of Tsimshian languages:

We follow here the classification of Mithun (1999) which is widely accepted.

The two dialects of the Nass-Gitksan language are sometimes presented as two independent languages.

Note: The Tsimshian languages are sometimes included in the hypothetical “Penutian” super-family. But according to Mithun (1999) the validity of the Penutian family, although likely, has not yet been demonstrated in a scientifically satisfactory manner. We therefore follow Mithun’s classification and present the Tsimshian languages as a separate family.

Are Tsimshian languages in danger?

Yes, Tsimshian is considered “Critically Endangered” by UNESCO. Amongst the hundred or so speakers of the language none is younger than 50, and the younger generations have adopted English as their mother tongue. The language is therefore likely to become extinct in the near future. Although the Nass-Gitksan dialects have more speakers, all are adults and the future of this language is no less threatened as a result.

Sources:

Mithun, Marianne The languages of Native North America. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. (1999).

Campbell, Lyle. American Indian languages: the historical linguistics of Native America. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (1997)

Site devoted to American Indian languages:

http://www.native-languages.org/

Sites devoted to the defense of indigenous languages and cultures of Canada:

www.fphlcc.ca

www.firstvoices.com

www.firstvoiceskids.com