Native American languages of Idaho facts for kids
Idaho is a state in the western United States. Many Native Americans have lived there for a very long time, especially in the northern parts of the Great Basin and the Rocky Mountains. These tribes speak five different Native American languages. Two of these languages belong to the Uto-Aztecan languages family. The other three languages come from different language families found to the west and east of Idaho.
Languages Spoken in Idaho
There are five Native American languages still spoken in Idaho today. The number of people who speak these languages is based on information from Ethnologue and U.S. Census data. The table below shows these five languages, how they are grouped, and where they are spoken.
| Language | Family Group | Number of Speakers | Total Tribe Population | Tribe(s) | Location in Idaho | Other Places Spoken |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coeur d'Alene | Salishan: Interior: Southern | 5 | 2,000 | Coeur d'Alene | Coeur d'Alene Reservation | |
| Northern Paiute | Uto-Aztecan: Numic: Western Numic | 700 | 5,000 | Northern Paiute, Bannock | Duck Valley Indian Reservation, Fort Hall Indian Reservation | Nevada |
| Shoshone | Uto-Aztecan: Numic: Central Numic | 2,000 | 12,300 | Western Shoshone, Northern Shoshone | Duck Valley Indian Reservation, Fort Hall Indian Reservation | Nevada, Wyoming, Utah |
| Nez Perce | Plateau Penutian: Sahaptian | 100 | 3,000 | Nez Perce | Nez Perce Indian Reservation | Washington |
| Kootenai | Language Isolate | 100 | 2,000 | Ktunaxa: Lower Kootenay | Kootenai Indian Reservation | British Columbia, Montana, Washington |
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Native American languages of Idaho Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.