Indigenous languages of Arizona facts for kids
Arizona, a state in the southwestern United States, is home to many Native American people. In fact, Arizona has the third largest number of Native Americans in the country. About 286,680 Native Americans live here, which is 10% of all Native Americans in the U.S.! Only California and Oklahoma have more Native American residents than Arizona.
Arizona also has the most land set aside for Native American reservations, with 28% of the state's land being reservations. Five of the twelve largest reservations in the United States are in Arizona. This includes the biggest one, the Navajo Nation, and the third largest, the Tohono Oʼodham Nation. Arizona is also special because it has the most people who speak Native American languages in the entire country.
Native American Languages in Arizona
Many different Native American languages are spoken in Arizona. There are twelve main languages that are used every day. Plus, there are three other languages mostly spoken in nearby states, but you can still find speakers in Arizona.
The table below shows some of the main Native American languages spoken in Arizona. It includes how many people speak them and where they live.
Other Native American Languages in Arizona
Besides the languages listed above, a few other Native American languages are spoken in Arizona. These languages are mostly found in New Mexico, which is just to the east.
- Zuni is a unique language spoken mainly in the Zuni Pueblo in northern New Mexico. While most Zuni people live in New Mexico, about 538 live on special lands in Apache County, Arizona. Most Zuni people still speak their language, which helps keep it from disappearing.
- Tewa is a language spoken by the Tewa people of New Mexico. A group of Tewa people, called the Arizona Tewa, live on the Hopi reservation in northeastern Arizona. They mostly live in two villages near First Mesa. The Tewa language is considered to be in danger of disappearing.
- Mescalero-Chiricahua is an Apache language. It is spoken by the Chiricahua people and Mescalero people. These tribes mostly live in Oklahoma and New Mexico. A small number of Chiricahua people also live on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in southeastern Arizona. However, this language is not widely spoken on that reservation.
