Tsuu T’ina among the world’s most endangered languages says new study

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – An Alberta Indigenous language has been highlighted as one of the most endangered in the world.

A study from WordFinder used data from UNESCO, and found that there are currently 608 critically endangered languages on earth with 30 of them in Canada.

One, in particular, is the language of the Tsuu T’ina language which only has about 80 native speakers despite nearly 2,000 residents living on the reserve outside Calgary.

That data was compiled from the 2016 national census

Aside from the number of speakers, UNESCO also looked at other factors contributing to the endangered status for these languages.

They include intergenerational language transmission, the proportion of speakers in a total population and available materials for language education.

Preserving these languages has also been challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic as the elderly are especially vulnerable to the virus and are often the last remaining speakers of the language.

UNESCO found that of the 608 endangered languages, over half of them were found in just 10 countries.

Some of the other languages referenced include the Chinook Jargon in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S., Tariana in Brazil and the Miriwoong Aboriginal language in Western Australia.