Native American languages of Idaho facts for kids
Idaho, a state in the western region of the United States of America, hosts a large number of Native Americans who have traditionally lived in the northern expanses of the Great Basin and the Rocky Mountains. There are five Native American languages that are spoken by recognized tribes of Idaho, two of which fall under the Uto-Aztecan languages classification, while the other three fall under three other language families that are associated with linguistic regions to the west and east of Idaho.
Distribution
There are five Native American languages currently spoken in Idaho. Population estimates are based on figures from Ethnologue and U.S. Census data, as given in sub-pages below. The five languages are shown in the table below:
| Language | Classification | Number of Speakers | Total Ethnic Population | Tribe(s) Included | Location(s) in Idaho | Significant External Populations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.