Also Known As:
Blackfoot, Piikani, Pikuni, Blackfeet, Siksika, Siksika Cluster, Niitsi'powahsin, ᓱᖽᐧᖿ, ブラックフット語
Dialects & Varieties
- Siksika (Blackfoot)
- Kainai (Many Chiefs or Blood)
- Aapatohsipikani (Northern Peigan in Canada)
- Aamsskaapipikani (Blackfeet or Southern Piegan in the United States)
Final vowel devoicing in Blackfoot
Prins, Samantha Leigh, "Final Vowel Devoicing in Blackfoot" (2019). Graduate Student Theses,
Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 11363. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11363
Severely Endangered
100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2,800 total: 2,750 in Canada and 50 in the US
Native Speakers Worldwide
Speaker Number Trends
Speaker Number Trend 4
Less than half of the community speaks the language, and speaker numbers are decreasing at an accelerated pace.
4
Domains of Use
Domain Of Use 5
Used only in a few very specific domains, such as in ceremonies, songs, prayer, proverbs, or certain limited domestic activities.
5
Transmission
Transmission 4
Many of the grandparent generation speak the language, but younger people generally do not.
4
Speakers
Native or fluent speakers:
No results found.
Second-language speakers and learners
1,350
Semi-speakers or rememberers
No results found.
Children:
No results found.
Young adults
No results found.
Older adults
No results found.
Elders
No results found.
Ethnic or community population
No results found.
Year information was gathered
No results found.
Comments on speakers
No results found.
Location and Context
Countries
Most speakers live on one of the four federal reservations running along the east side of the Lewis Range of the Rocky Mountains from Gleichen, AB in the north to Heart Butte, MT in the south (Kevin McManigal as quoted in Prins, 2019)
Location Description
No results found.
Government Support
No results found.
Institutional Support
The Piegan Institute; The Blackfeet Reservation (US)
Speakers' Attitude
No results found.
Other Languages Used By The Community
English
Number of Other Language Speakers:
None
Domains of Other Languages:
None
Writing Systems
Standard orthography:
No results found.
Writing system:
No results found.
Other writing systems used:
No results text.
Comments on writing systems:
No results found.
Recent Resources
Contains people, names, history, tribal community websites, books on sale, Siksika lifestyle, Siksik
News article with 3 videos
Blackfoot Language Lessons