Dane-zaa language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dane-zaa |
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| Beaver Dane-zaa Ẕáágéʔ (ᑕᓀᖚ ᖚᗀᐥ) |
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| Native to | Canada | |||
| Region | British Columbia, Alberta | |||
| Ethnicity | 1,700 Dane-zaa | |||
| Native speakers | 220, 13% of ethnic population (2016 census) | |||
| Language family |
Dené–Yeniseian?
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The Dane-zaa language, also known as Beaver, is an Indigenous language spoken in western Canada. Its name, Dane-zaa Ẕáágéʔ, means "people-regular language." It is part of the Athabaskan language family.
The Dane-zaa language is closely related to other languages spoken by nearby Indigenous groups. These include Slavey, Sekani, Tsuu T’ina, Chipewyan, and Kaska.
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Different Ways of Speaking Dane-zaa
The Dane-zaa language has two main groups of dialects. These dialects developed slightly different sounds. They are known as "high-marked" and "low-marked."
- The High-marked Dane-zaa dialects are spoken in:
- Boyer River (Alberta)
- Child Lake (Alberta)
- Prophet River (British Columbia)
- Blueberry River (British Columbia)
- Doig River (British Columbia)
- The Low-marked Dane-zaa dialects are spoken in:
- Halfway River (British Columbia)
- West Moberly Lake (British Columbia)
Who Speaks Dane-zaa Today?
In 2016, about 220 people spoke Dane-zaa. This is about 13% of all Dane-zaa people. Most speakers live in communities in eastern British Columbia and northwestern Alberta.
Some of these communities include:
- In British Columbia: Doig River, Blueberry, Halfway River, Hudson Hope, and Prophet River.
- In Alberta: Horse Lakes, Clear Hills, Boyer River (Rocky Lane), and Child Lake (Eleske) Reserves.
Sometimes, artists like Garry Oker create music that features traditional Dane-zaa language chanting. This helps keep the language alive and shared.
Why the Language is Changing
The Dane-zaa language is becoming less common. English is now the first language for most Dane-zaa children and many adults.
This change started when children began attending schools in the 1950s. By the 1980s, English became the main language. Because Dane-zaa is mostly spoken, not written, it becomes more at risk as fewer people speak it fluently.
Several things contributed to this change:
- A serious illness in 1918 greatly reduced the number of Dane-zaa people. Many elders, who held much of the language knowledge, passed away. It took many years for the community to recover.
- Traditional meeting places were lost.
- Residential schools also played a role. These schools often prevented Indigenous children from speaking their own languages.
- Even when schools were built on reserves, there were challenges. It was hard to find teachers, and teachers were sometimes not allowed to share the true experiences of the communities.
Efforts to Preserve the Language
Many people have worked to record and preserve the Dane-zaa language over the years.
Early Records
Alfred Garrioch was a missionary who worked with the Beaver people in the late 1800s. He learned the Dane-zaa language and translated parts of the Bible into it. His work helped create some of the first written records of the language.
In 1885 and 1886, several books were published in the Dane-zaa language. These included a primer (a basic learning book), a vocabulary list, and a book of devotions. The Gospel of Mark was also published in both syllabic characters (a writing system for Indigenous languages) and Roman characters.
Modern Documentation
Starting in 1959, anthropologist Robin Ridington began working with the Doig River First Nation. He helped document and record the Dane-zaa language and stories. Later, his daughter Amber Ridington worked with Dane-zaa youth and elders to create Dane Wajich: Dane-zaa Stories and Songs-Dreamers and the Land. This is a virtual library that shares Dane-zaa pronunciations and cultural resources online.
From 2004 to 2011, a project called DoBeS Beaver documented the language spoken by elders in Alberta and British Columbia. They focused on place names and stories connected to important locations. This project helped explore how space is described in the language. These materials are now available online for people to learn from.
Grammar Basics
Dane-zaa has pronouns that do not specify gender. This means that words like "his," "her," and "it" are often combined into one form.
- ma- can mean his/her/it
- da- means his/her own
