Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Kootenai, Kutenai, Kootenay
CLASSIFICATION		Isolate, North American
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		kut
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

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Information from: “Report on the Status of B.C. First Nations Languages (Fourth Edition)” . Gessner, Suzanne, Tracey Herbertn and Aliana Parker (2022)

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
18
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
882
SEMI SPEAKERS
37
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Numbers for British Columbia only.

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS
TRANSMISSION
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT: Schools, community programs
LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS: There are 2 Head Start education programs for Ktunaxa language, 2 First Nations schools and 1 public school offering language learning, and university courses in the language.

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
31
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
1067
SEMI SPEAKERS
118

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

2.9% fluent speakers, 11.1% semispeakers, 32.1% active learners

Critically endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Speaker number: Spoken by elders in all the communities.

The language is spoken by elders in all the communities, and there were monolingual speakers at Tobacco Plains and Bonners Ferry as recently as the 1980s. With a few exceptions, the youngest first-language speakers are in their 50s, and even some of them have more of a passive knowledge of the language than active fluency.

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

The language is spoken by elders in all the communities ... With a few exceptions, the youngest first-language speakers are in their 50s, and even some of them have more of a passive knowledge of the language than active fluency.

PLACES: Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Three politically independent groups in Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia (Ktunaxa is the official name in Canada). The Montana Kootenai are part of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and are concentrated at the northern end of the Flathead Reservation, around Elmo. The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho has a reservation near Bonners Ferry, in the Idaho panhandle. The communities in British Columbia are represented by the Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Tribal Council and include the Lower Kootenay Band, with a reserve near Creston; the Tobacco Plains Band with a reserve at Grasmere; the St. Mary’s Band with a reserve near Cranbrook; and the Columbia Lake Band with a reserve at Windermere.

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
12
Native speakers worldwide

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
12
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
6 in Canada (2002 W. Poser). Population total all countries: 12.

DATE OF INFO: 2002

PLACES: Montana; Canada;

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
135
Native speakers worldwide

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
31
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
1510?
SEMI SPEAKERS
20
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Canada: 25 (FPCC 2014). 20 semi-speakers (FPCC 2014). Ethnic population: 1,150 (FPCC 2014).
US: 6 (2002), decreasing. Ethnic population: 360 (2000 census).

DATE OF INFO: 2014 (Canada), 2002 (USA)

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Speakers 50 and older.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

English

PLACES: Canada, USA

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Canada: British Columbia province: Columbia Lake, Lower Kootenay, Saint Mary’s, Tobacco Plains.
US: Idaho: Flathead Reservation; Montana.

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
26
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
989
SEMI SPEAKERS
97
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
http://maps.fphlcc.ca/ktunaxa

PLACES: British Columbia, Canada

		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/.		989	26		10-99	http://maps.fphlcc.ca/ktunaxa	97					Severely Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					British Columbia, Canada		50.0500000, -116.0500000
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.																			49.5,-116.0
	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		12	2002	10-99	6 in Canada (2002 W. Poser). Population total all countries: 12.						Severely Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Montana; Canada;
		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.		1510?	31	2014 (Canada), 2002 (USA)	10-99	Canada: 25 (FPCC 2014). 20 semi-speakers (FPCC 2014). Ethnic population: 1,150 (FPCC 2014). US: 6 (2002), decreasing. Ethnic population: 360 (2000 census).	20		English			Critically Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15	Speakers 50 and older.	15	Canada: British Columbia province: Columbia Lake, Lower Kootenay, Saint Mary’s, Tobacco Plains. US: Idaho: Flathead Reservation; Montana.	Canada, USA
	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		135		100-999							Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)							49.6467,-115.7372
	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			1067	31		10-99		118					Critically Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15	2.9% fluent speakers, 11.1% semispeakers, 32.1% active learners	15
		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.						Speaker number: Spoken by elders in all the communities. The language is spoken by elders in all the communities, and there were monolingual speakers at Tobacco Plains and Bonners Ferry as recently as the 1980s. With a few exceptions, the youngest first-language speakers are in their 50s, and even some of them have more of a passive knowledge of the language than active fluency.						Critically Endangered (60 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	14	The language is spoken by elders in all the communities ... With a few exceptions, the youngest first-language speakers are in their 50s, and even some of them have more of a passive knowledge of the language than active fluency.	15	Three politically independent groups in Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia (Ktunaxa is the official name in Canada). The Montana Kootenai are part of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and are concentrated at the northern end of the Flathead Reservation, around Elmo. The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho has a reservation near Bonners Ferry, in the Idaho panhandle. The communities in British Columbia are represented by the Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Tribal Council and include the Lower Kootenay Band, with a reserve near Creston; the Tobacco Plains Band with a reserve at Grasmere; the St. Mary’s Band with a reserve near Cranbrook; and the Columbia Lake Band with a reserve at Windermere.	Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia	Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia
	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.																			49.6467,-115.7372
			World Oral Literature Project								http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			12		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			882	18		10-99	Numbers for British Columbia only.	37	424		There are 2 Head Start education programs for Ktunaxa language, 2 First Nations schools and 1 public school offering language learning, and university courses in the language.	Schools, community programs	Critically Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15		15

Ktunaxa

Language metadata

Language information by source

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

18

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

31

Critically endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

12

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

12

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

135

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

31

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

26

Discussion

Ktunaxa

Language metadata

Language information by source

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

18

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

31

Critically endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

12

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

12

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

135

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

31

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

26

Discussion

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