Alaska Native languages facts for kids

Alaska Natives are the first people who lived in Alaska. Their ancestors came to Alaska thousands of years ago in two big migrations. Today, there are many different groups of Alaska Natives. Some of the largest tribes include the Iñupiat, Yup'ik, Aleut, Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian.

Long ago, Alaska Natives spoke over 300 different languages. These languages helped them talk to each other. But by 1959, when Alaska became a state, only about 20 of these languages were still spoken. These languages belong to four main language families: Eskimo–Aleut, Athabaskan, Haida, and Tsimshian. Each family has its own special way of speaking, but they also share some things.

After Russians came to Alaska, the importance of Native languages slowly went down. But then, things started to change. From 1960 to 1970, there was a "rebirth" of interest in Alaska Native languages. People started to care more about saving them. Since then, new laws have been made to help protect and promote these languages.

How Colonization Changed Languages

Before Russia came to Alaska, most Alaska Native groups had their own unique languages. People used these languages every day. It was common for many people to speak two languages. This helped them trade and get along with other Native groups.

When non-Native people arrived, Native languages began to change. Russians were the first to colonize Alaska. So, some Russian words for new things, like "kofe" (coffee) and "chay" (tea), were added to Native languages. This happened in languages like Unangan (Aleut), Alutiiq (Sugpiaq), and Yup'ik. Many Russians and Native Alaskans married each other. This meant more Native Alaskans learned to speak both their Native language and Russian. Still, Native languages were the main languages spoken in Alaska.

The use of Native languages really dropped after Americans came to Alaska. In 1877, Sheldon Jackson arrived. He was a missionary and later an education leader for the Territory of Alaska. Jackson started an "English Only" rule in schools, courts, and government. If anyone broke this rule, they were punished. This rule was not stopped until 2002.

In 1924, a law called the Alaska Voter's Literacy Act was passed. This law said that Native Alaskan citizens had to pass an English reading and writing test to vote. This made people use Native languages even less. Today, many Alaska Native languages are in danger of disappearing forever, or have already disappeared.

Saving Native Languages

Today, people are working hard to save Alaska Native languages. They are recording and writing down these languages. The goal is to bring them back to life using dictionaries and grammar books. Speakers tell stories in their native tongue. These stories are then written down in both English and the Native language's alphabet. These alphabets are quite new. Before non-Native people arrived, most Native languages did not have a written form.

The Alaska Native Language Center (ANLC) is working with about 20 Native languages. They are teaching these languages again in villages across Alaska and Canada. People who want to learn Alaska Native languages can also take classes at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. These languages are not just in Alaska. Their speakers lived across northern North America before state and country borders were made. For example, one Athabaskan language is found in Southeast Alaska, along Alaska's eastern border, into Northern Canada, and even into western Greenland.

In 2014, Alaska passed a new law. It changed the official state language, which used to be only English. This law, which started in 2015, now recognizes many Native languages as official state languages. These include Inupiaq, Siberian Yupik, Central Alaskan Yup'ik, Alutiiq, Unangax, Dena'ina, Deg Xinag, Holikachuk, Koyukon, Upper Kuskokwim, Gwich'in, Tanana, Upper Tanana, Tanacross, Hän, Ahtna, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian. However, this law does not mean the government has to print documents or record actions in these languages.

Another important law is House Concurrent Resolution 19. It says that the current state of Native languages is a "linguistic emergency." This means the languages are in a very serious situation. Even though some people argued about the word "emergency," the bill was passed.

Language and Culture

Many Alaska Native languages are part of what are called high-context cultures. This means that when people communicate, a lot of the message comes from things other than words. These can be nonverbal cues like body language, silence, and eye contact. So, talking in Alaska Native languages is different from talking in English.

English, in many cultures, is a "low-context" language. This means that the message is mostly in the words themselves. This difference can sometimes lead to misunderstandings. For example, in many Alaska Native languages, silence can show respect and that someone is listening. But in English-speaking cultures, silence might be seen as not understanding or not being interested.

Alaska Native languages often use stories and personal experiences to teach lessons and morals. For example, Tlingit culture uses this way of teaching. It shows how important the speaker and listener are. This also shows how important oral tradition is in Tlingit culture. Oral tradition means that knowledge and stories are passed down from older people to younger learners by speaking, not writing.

List of Alaska Native languages

• Inuit-Yupik-Unangan (Eskimo-Aleut)
  • Unangan (Aleut)
  • Alutiiq (Sugpiaq)
  • Central Alaskan Yup'ik (with Cup'ik and Cup'ig)
  • St. Lawrence Island Yupik
  • Inupiaq
• Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit (Na-Dene)
  • Tlingit
  • Eyak
  • Athabaskan
    • Ahtna
    • Denaʼina
    • Deg Xinag
    • Holikachuk
    • Upper Kuskokwim
    • Koyukon
    • Lower Tanana
    • Tanacross
    • Upper Tanana
    • Gwich'in
    • Hän
• Haida
• Tsimshian

Demographics

This table shows how many people speak different Alaska Native languages.

• Information in this table was retrieved from the Alaska Native Languages Center.

See Also

• Alaska Native Language Center