Did you know Northern Straits Salish is critically endangered?

ALSO KNOWN AS		SENĆOŦEN/Malchosen/Lekwungen/Semiahmoo/T’Sou-ke, Malchosen, Lekwungen, Semiahmoo, T'Sou-ke, Salish (Straits), Straits Salish, Straits, Songish, Lkungen
CLASSIFICATION		Salishan, Central Salish
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		str
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Saanich Samish Lummi Songhees Sooke Semiahmoo SENĆOŦEN
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

Compare Sources (12)

Information from: “First Peoples' Language Map of British Columbia” .

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
8
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
4,294
SEMI SPEAKERS
305
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
This data is for speakers in British Columbia.

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS
TRANSMISSION

PLACES: Canada;

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: British Columbia

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~20
Native speakers worldwide

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS
TRANSMISSION
OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: Canada;

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
12
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
3,020
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
7 speakers in Canada. 5 speakers in the US.

DATE OF INFO: 2014

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Ts’ooke, Semiahmoo, and Songish dialects have no remaining speakers. Ceremonies, tribal identity. Speakers 60 and older.

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

Dictionary. Grammar.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

English

PLACES: Canada; US

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: British Columbia, Southeast tip of Vancouver Island (Saanich dialect).
Washington: San Juan Islands (Samish dialect), mainland south of San Juan Islands (Lummi dialect).

Critically endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
<10
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
This data is for the Samish variety. There are fewer than ten fluent speakers, and about 15 others who are working on further documentation and revival efforts (Eastwood 2012).

DATE OF INFO: 2012

PLACES: Canada; USA;

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Washington, British Columbia. The Samish variety is currently geographically located in Anacortes, WA, USA, with historic ties to the San Juan islands.

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
180
Native speakers worldwide

PLACES: Canada;

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
7
Native speakers worldwide
SEMI SPEAKERS
50
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Data for speakers in British Columbia

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

0.2% fluent speakers, 1.5% semispeakers, 15.1% active learners

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
7
Native speakers worldwide
SEMI SPEAKERS
103
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Numbers only for speakers in British Columbia.

DATE OF INFO: 2014

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

0.2% fluent speakers, 3.4% semispeakers, 8.2% learners.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

English

PLACES: Canada: British Columbia

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Only speakers in British Columbia represented here.
Southern end of Vancouver Island.

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
<20
Native speakers worldwide
SEMI SPEAKERS
~105
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Saanich: fewer than 20 first-language speakers, the youngest nearly 60 years old. However, there are up to 100 second-language speakers of varying degrees of fluency, and Saanich is frequently used in ceremonies and for tribal identity. Samish: about 5 speakers, but their speech is mixed with other dialects or with Halkomelem and they do not form a distinct speech community. Lummi: no active first-language speakers.

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS
TRANSMISSION
OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: Canada;

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Southern tip of Vancouver Island, the San Juan Islands, and the mainland immediately to the south of the US-Canadian border.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Southern tip of Vancouver Island, the San Juan Islands, and the mainland immediately to the south of the US-Canadian border.

PLACES: Canada;

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
20
Native speakers worldwide

16 fluent and 165 semi-speakers. 523 language leaners
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
4,482
SEMI SPEAKERS
165
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Numbers for British Columbia only.

		2012	First Peoples' Language Map of British Columbia							First Peoples' Cultural Council	http://www.maps.fphlcc.ca/		2012. "First Peoples' Language Map of British Columbia." edited by First Peoples' Cultural Council. Online: http://www.maps.fphlcc.ca/.		4,294	8		1-9	This data is for speakers in British Columbia.	305				Critically Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15		15		Canada;	British Columbia	48.4500000, -123.0000000
		2007	North America	Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages	1-96	C. Moseley		London & New York: Routledge				Victor Golla	Golla, Victor. 2007. "North America." In Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, edited by C. Moseley. 1-96. London & New York: Routledge.	HHOLD		~20		10-99			hundreds	English		Critically Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15		15		Canada;
0199255911		2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures			Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer		Oxford University Press	New York				2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.																		48.75,-123.25
		2016	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 19th Edition (2016)			Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig	online	SIL International	Dallas, Texas		http://www.ethnologue.com		Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2016. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Nineteenth edition (2016). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.		3,020	12	2014	10-99	7 speakers in Canada. 5 speakers in the US.		100	English	Dictionary. Grammar.	Critically Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15	Ts’ooke, Semiahmoo, and Songish dialects have no remaining speakers. Ceremonies, tribal identity. Speakers 60 and older.	15		Canada; US	British Columbia, Southeast tip of Vancouver Island (Saanich dialect). Washington: San Juan Islands (Samish dialect), mainland south of San Juan Islands (Lummi dialect).
		2012	Samish Indian Nation								www.samishtribe.nsn.us/language/		2012. "Samish Indian Nation." Online: www.samishtribe.nsn.us/language/.			<10	2012	1-9	This data is for the Samish variety. There are fewer than ten fluent speakers, and about 15 others who are working on further documentation and revival efforts (Eastwood 2012).					Critically Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Canada; USA;	Washington, British Columbia. The Samish variety is currently geographically located in Anacortes, WA, USA, with historic ties to the San Juan islands.
	3rd	2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger					UNESCO Publishing	Paris		http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub		180		100-999						Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Canada;		48.4457,-123.4205
	3	2018	Report on the status of B.C. First Nations Languages					First People's Cultural Council		First Peoples' Cultural Council		Britt Dunlop, Suzanne Gessner, Tracey Herbert & Aliana Parker				7		1-9	Data for speakers in British Columbia	50				Critically Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15	0.2% fluent speakers, 1.5% semispeakers, 15.1% active learners	15
		2014	Report on the status of B.C. First Nations Languages (2nd Edition) 2014				Website: http://www.fpcc.ca/files/PDF/Language/FPCC-LanguageReport-141016-WEB.pdf	First Peoples' Cultural Council (FPCC)			http://www.fpcc.ca/files/PDF/Language/FPCC-LanguageReport-141016-WEB.pdf	First Peoples' Cultural Council (FPCC)	First Peoples' Cultural Council (FPCC). 2014. Report on the status of B.C. First Nations Languages (2nd Edition). http://www.fpcc.ca/files/PDF/Language/FPCC-LanguageReport-141016-WEB.pdf			7	2014	1-9	Numbers only for speakers in British Columbia.	103		English		Critically Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15	0.2% fluent speakers, 3.4% semispeakers, 8.2% learners.	15	Only speakers in British Columbia represented here. Southern end of Vancouver Island.	Canada: British Columbia
		2008	North America	Atlas of the World's Languages	7-41	Chris Moseley and Ron Asher		Routledge	London			Victor Golla and Ives Goddard and Lyle Campbell and Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco	Victor Golla, Ives Goddard, Lyle Campbell, Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco. 2008. "North America." In Atlas of the World's Languages, edited by Chris Moseley and Ron Asher. 7-41. Routledge.			<20		10-99	Saanich: fewer than 20 first-language speakers, the youngest nearly 60 years old. However, there are up to 100 second-language speakers of varying degrees of fluency, and Saanich is frequently used in ceremonies and for tribal identity. Samish: about 5 speakers, but their speech is mixed with other dialects or with Halkomelem and they do not form a distinct speech community. Lummi: no active first-language speakers.	~105		English		Critically Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15		15	Southern tip of Vancouver Island, the San Juan Islands, and the mainland immediately to the south of the US-Canadian border.	Canada;	Southern tip of Vancouver Island, the San Juan Islands, and the mainland immediately to the south of the US-Canadian border.
	2nd edition	2010	Endangered Languages of the United States	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing	108-130	Christopher Moseley		UNESCO	Paris			Christopher Rogers, Naomi Palosaari and Lyle Campbell	Christopher Rogers, Naomi Palosaari and Lyle Campbell. 2010. "Endangered Languages of the United States." In Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing, edited by Christopher Moseley. 108-130. UNESCO.																Canada;		48.488,-122.6363; 48.4457,-123.4205
			World Oral Literature Project								http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			20		10-99						Severely Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
		2022	Report on the Status of B.C. First Nations Languages (Fourth Edition)								https://fpcc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/FPCC-LanguageReport-23.02.14-FINAL.pdf	Gessner, Suzanne, Tracey Herbertn and Aliana Parker			4,482	16 fluent and 165 semi-speakers. 523 language leaners		10-99	Numbers for British Columbia only.	165	523

Northern Straits Salish

Language metadata

Language information by source

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

8

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~20

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

12

Critically endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<10

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

180

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

7

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

7

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<20

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

20

16 fluent and 165 semi-speakers. 523 language leaners

Discussion

Northern Straits Salish

Language metadata

Language information by source

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

8

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~20

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

12

Critically endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<10

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

180

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

7

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

7

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<20

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

20

16 fluent and 165 semi-speakers. 523 language leaners

Discussion

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