Statistics Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Evolution of Aboriginal languages

Warning View the most recent version.

Archived Content

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please contact us to request a format other than those available.

While the number of fluent speakers of some Aboriginal languages is declining, other languages are growing in use. Comparing Aboriginal communities counted in the 1996 Census with their status in 2001, Inuktituk is gaining fluent speakers. In 2001, 31,945 people reported that they could carry on a conversation in Inuktitut, up 8.7% from 29,400 in 1996. The number of speakers of Dene and Montagnais-Naskapi rose 10.2%.

However, fewer Aboriginal people reported having an Aboriginal language as a mother tongue: 198,595 in 2001, down almost 4% from 205,800 in 1996. A mother tongue is the first language learned in childhood and still understood.

The number of people whose mother tongue is Cree slipped 3% from 1996, whereas the number speaking Ojibway declined 6%. Among the Aboriginal languages reported as a mother tongue in 2001, the three most common were Cree (80,000 people), Inuktitut (29,700) and Ojibway (23,500).

A good indicator of language retention in a community is the language spoken by children aged 14 and younger. In 2001, 64% of Inuit children used an Aboriginal language as their mother tongue, compared with 17% of First Nations children. Among Métis children, 2% spoke an Aboriginal language as their mother tongue.

In 2001, 71% of Inuit reported knowledge of their ancestral language, compared with almost 30% of First Nations members and 5% of Métis. In 2001, 24% of Aboriginal people said they could converse in their language, down from 29% in 1996. People living in the North and on reserves and settlements are more likely to maintain their Aboriginal language than those living in urban areas.