Did you know Kanienʼkéha (Mohawk) is threatened?

ALSO KNOWN AS		Kanienʼkeha, Kanien'kehaka, Kanyenʼkéha
CLASSIFICATION		Iroquoian, Northern Iroquoian, Lake Iroquoian, Mohawk-Oneida
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3; Glottolog
LANGUAGE CODE		moh; moha1258
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Ohsweken Kahnawake (Caughnawaga) Kanehsatake (Oka) Thayendinaga Wahta Ahkwesahsne (St. Regis) Wahta (Gibson)
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

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Information from: “Kanien'keha (Mohawk, United States and Canada) - Language Snapshot” . Joseph Pentangelo (2020) , Peter K. Austin · ELPublishing

Threatened

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
about 3,800
Native speakers worldwide

DATE OF INFO: 2007 & 2019

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

The first-language speakers are aging, but sustained interest in cultural revitalisation, which grew precipitously in the 1970s, has led to a growing population of younger second-language speakers (Bonvillain, 1973).

SPEAKER ATTITUDE

Robust language revitalisation efforts are ongoing, and the language is of great cultural importance to the Kanien’kehá:ka people. Several immersion programs offer language classes. Websites and apps support digital learning and communication. Code-switching is frequent in conversations.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

yes

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

yes

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

North American English

More on Orthography

In the 18th & 19th centuries, English and French speaking missionaries developed separate orthographies. In the 1970s, educators, translators, and Elders in Kahnawake and Kanesatake developed a new orthography using the French basis with additional features. In the 1990s, this was further refined to accommodate community dialect differences.

Used online in a variety of textual registers from casual social media to pedagogical content.

PLACES: Originally centered in the Mohawk Valley of New York State, USA, but as far as Pennsylvania, and Ontario and Quebec Provinces, Canada. Now used in eight communities: Akwesane, Kahnawake, Kanesatake, Six Nations, Wahta, Tyendinaga, Ganienkeh, and Kanatsiohareke. .

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
3,350
Native speakers worldwide

Endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
3,850
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
A small number of children are native speakers. There are also several hundred second language speakers.

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Of these, 600 are at Caughnawaga, 100 at Oka, 3,000 at St. Regis, 87 on the Six Nations Reserve, 2 on the Tyendinaga Reserve, and fewer than 50 at Gibson. A small number of children are native speakers. There are also several hundred second language speakers, produced by successful immersion schools in Caughnawaga, Oka, St. Regis, and on the Six Nations Reserve.

PLACES: Canada; USA;

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: There are six modern Mohawk communities, located primarily in Canada: Kahnawake and Kanehsatake in the vicinity of Montreal; Ahkwesahsne on the St. Lawrence River at the US-Canadian border; Ohsweken (Six Nations on the Grand River in southern Ontario; the Tyendinaga Reserve on the Bay of Quinté near Kingston; and a small settlement at Gibson (Wahta) east of Georgian Bay.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: There are six modern Mohawk communities, located primarily in Canada: Caughnawaga (Kahnawake) and Oka (Kanehsatake) in the vicinity of Montreal; St. Regis (Ahkwesahsne) on the St. Lawrence River at the US-Canadian border; the Six Nations Reserve (Grand River) in southern Ontario; the Tyendinaga Reserve on the Bay of Quinté near Kingston; and a small settlement at Gibson (Wahta) east of Georgian Bay.

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
3,000
Native speakers worldwide

PLACES: Canada; USA;

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
3760
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
30,000
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
760 in Canada (2001 census)...Ethnic population: 24,000 in Canada, 30,000 including USA (1999 SIL).

DATE OF INFO: 2001

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: Canada; USA;

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Ontario, the Six Nations Reserve, south, the Tyendinaga Reserve on the Bay of Quinte near Kingston, and a small settlement at Gibson east of Georgian Bay; Quebec, Caughnawaga and Oka in the vicinity of Montreal.

Endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
3640
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
30,000
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Canada: 540 (2011 census). Ethnic population: 24,000 (1999 SIL).
US: 3000 (Golla 2007). Ethnic population: 6,000 (1999 SIL).

DATE OF INFO: 2011 (Canada), 2007 (US)

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS
TRANSMISSION

PLACES: Canada, USA

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Canada: Ontario province: Six Nations Reserve, Tyendinaga Reserve on Bay of Quinte near Kingston, and a small settlement at Gibson east of Georgian Bay; Quebec province: Caughnawaga and Oka near Montreal.
US: New York: Saint Regis Reservation.

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
3,850
Native speakers worldwide

PLACES: Canada; USA;

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS: Brock University in St. Catharines Ontario offers a degree in Aborginal Studies that includes courses in the Mohawk Language. This is an attempt by the University and 6 Nations to preserve the language and culture.

PLACES: Canada; USA;

				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		3,850		1000-9999								Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Canada; USA;
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.																				43.5,-74.25
			16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)				M. Paul Lewis		SIL International		Dallas, TX		http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub	30,000	3760	2001	1000-9999	760 in Canada (2001 census)...Ethnic population: 24,000 in Canada, 30,000 including USA (1999 SIL).		English					Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Canada; USA;	Ontario, the Six Nations Reserve, south, the Tyendinaga Reserve on the Bay of Quinte near Kingston, and a small settlement at Gibson east of Georgian Bay; Quebec, Caughnawaga and Oka in the vicinity of Montreal.
				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.		30,000	3640	2011 (Canada), 2007 (US)	1000-9999	Canada: 540 (2011 census). Ethnic population: 24,000 (1999 SIL). US: 3000 (Golla 2007). Ethnic population: 6,000 (1999 SIL).	100						Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	13		14	Canada: Ontario province: Six Nations Reserve, Tyendinaga Reserve on Bay of Quinte near Kingston, and a small settlement at Gibson east of Georgian Bay; Quebec province: Caughnawaga and Oka near Montreal. US: New York: Saint Regis Reservation.	Canada, USA
ISSN: 1740-6234	Language Snapshots	December		2020	Kanien'keha (Mohawk, United States and Canada) - Language Snapshot				Peter K. Austin		ELPublishing	Language Documentation and Description			http://www.elpublishing.org/docs/1/19/ldd19_01.pdf	Joseph Pentangelo	Pentangelo, Joseph. 2020. Kanien’kéha (Mohawk) (United States and Canada) - Language Snapshot . Language Documentation and Description 19, 1-8. http://www.elpublishing.org/PID/203			about 3,800	2007 & 2019	1000-9999			North American English	yes	Robust language revitalisation efforts are ongoing, and the language is of great cultural importance to the Kanien’kehá:ka people. Several immersion programs offer language classes. Websites and apps support digital learning and communication. Code-switching is frequent in conversations.		yes	Threatened (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	11	The first-language speakers are aging, but sustained interest in cultural revitalisation, which grew precipitously in the 1970s, has led to a growing population of younger second-language speakers (Bonvillain, 1973).	13		Originally centered in the Mohawk Valley of New York State, USA, but as far as Pennsylvania, and Ontario and Quebec Provinces, Canada. Now used in eight communities: Akwesane, Kahnawake, Kanesatake, Six Nations, Wahta, Tyendinaga, Ganienkeh, and Kanatsiohareke. .		42.5929, -74.3249; 47.4010, -69.3544
				2012	Aboriginal Studies			Reference provided by Dean Haymes					Ontario, Canada	Brock University	http://www.brocku.ca/webcal/2012/undergrad/abst.html													Brock University in St. Catharines Ontario offers a degree in Aborginal Studies that includes courses in the Mohawk Language. This is an attempt by the University and 6 Nations to preserve the language and culture.
			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		3,000		1000-9999								Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Canada; USA;		45.0333,-79.7333
				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.			3,850		1000-9999	A small number of children are native speakers. There are also several hundred second language speakers.							Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	13	Of these, 600 are at Caughnawaga, 100 at Oka, 3,000 at St. Regis, 87 on the Six Nations Reserve, 2 on the Tyendinaga Reserve, and fewer than 50 at Gibson. A small number of children are native speakers. There are also several hundred second language speakers, produced by successful immersion schools in Caughnawaga, Oka, St. Regis, and on the Six Nations Reserve.	14	There are six modern Mohawk communities, located primarily in Canada: Caughnawaga (Kahnawake) and Oka (Kanehsatake) in the vicinity of Montreal; St. Regis (Ahkwesahsne) on the St. Lawrence River at the US-Canadian border; the Six Nations Reserve (Grand River) in southern Ontario; the Tyendinaga Reserve on the Bay of Quinté near Kingston; and a small settlement at Gibson (Wahta) east of Georgian Bay.	Canada; USA;	There are six modern Mohawk communities, located primarily in Canada: Kahnawake and Kanehsatake in the vicinity of Montreal; Ahkwesahsne on the St. Lawrence River at the US-Canadian border; Ohsweken (Six Nations on the Grand River in southern Ontario; the Tyendinaga Reserve on the Bay of Quinté near Kingston; and a small settlement at Gibson (Wahta) east of Georgian Bay.
			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; USA;		42.9116,-74.5587; 45.0033,-74.6497; 44.189,-77.1494; 45.4013,-73.6677
					World Oral Literature Project										http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			3,350		1000-9999								Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)

Kanienʼkéha (Mohawk)

Language metadata

Language information by source

Threatened

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

about 3,800

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,350

Endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,850

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3760

Endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3640

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,850

Discussion

Kanienʼkéha (Mohawk)

Language metadata

Language information by source

Threatened

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

about 3,800

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,350

Endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,850

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3760

Endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3640

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,850

Discussion

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