Canadian Aboriginal Languages
There are about 45 Aboriginal or First Nation languages spoken in Canada.
There are 11 language families, including Algonquian, Athapaskan, Eskimo-Aleut, Haida, Kutenai, Salishan, Siouan, Tlingit, Tsimshian, Iroquoian and Wakashan.
The most widely spoken Aboriginal languages in Canada are Cree-Montagnais-Naskapi, Ojibwe, Mi'kmaq, Blackfoot, and Maliseet (belonging to the Algonquian family), Carrier, Babine, Dogrib, Chipewyan, Slave, Gwich'in and Chilcotin, (belonging to the Athapaskan family), Assiniboine, (Siouan family), Mohawk, (Iroquoian family), Gitksan and Nishga (Tsimshian family).
For more information visit the Canadian Linguistic Association Committee on Aboriginal Languages
| FAMILY | LANGUAGE | WHERE SPOKEN |
| Athapaskan | Tagish, Sarcee, Babine, Han, Sekani, Kaska, Beaver, Hare,
Dogrib, Slave, Chilcotin, Tahltan, Carrier, Tutchone, Kutchin,
Chipewyan |
Yukon, North West Territories, Northern British Colombia,
Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba |
| Algonquian | Blackfoot, Cree- Montagnais-Naskapi, Ojibwe, Mi'maq, Maliseet,
Potawatomi, Abenaki, Munsee Delaware |
Blackfoot is spoken in Southern Alberta; Cree-Montagnais-
Naskapi is spoken in the Rockies to the Québec and Labrador peninsula; Ojibwe is spoken around the Great Lakes and in the Ottawa valley region; Mi'maq is spoken in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Québec. Maliseet is spoken in New Brunswick |
| Eskimo- Aleut | Inuktitut | North West Territories, Nunavut, Arctic Quebec and Labrador |
| Haida | Haida | Queen Charlotte Islands and northward |
| Iroquoian |
Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Seneca, Onondaga, Tuscarora |
Southern Ontario and Quebec |
| Kutenai | Kutenai | Interior British Columbia and along the Kootney River |
| Salishan | Bella Coola,Comox, Halkomelem, Northern Straits, Salish,
Sechelt, Lillooet, Okanagan, Squamish, Shuswap, Thompson |
Bella Coola is spoken in coastal British Columbia. Comox,
Halkomelen, Northern Straits Salish, Sechelt and Squamish are spoken in interior British Columbia and costal British Columbia. Lillooet, Okangan, Shuswap and Thompson are spoken in interior BC. |
| Siouan | Dakota, Sioux, Assiniboine, Stoney | Spoken in Morley, Alberta; Saskatchewan and Southern Manitoba |
| Tlingit | Tlingit | Spoken in Alaska, British Columbia and the Yukon |
| Wakashan | Haisla, Heiltsuk, Kwak'wala, Nootka, Nitinaht |
Haisla, Heiltsuk and Kwak'wala are spoken in Northern
Vancouver Island and the neighbouring mainland coast. Nootkan and Nitinah are spoken on the west coast of Vancouver Island |
| Tsimshian | Nass-Gitksan, Coast Tsimshian | Coastal British Columbia, along Nass and Skeena rivers |
