Indigenous Peoples Thematic Series
Indigenous Language Families: Athabaskan languages

Athabaskan languages

The Athabaskan language family consists of more than a dozen languages that are presently spoken throughout Canada. Athabaskan language speakers are found throughout the prairies, through languages such as Tsuu T'ina (Sarsi); in British Columbia, through languages like Dakelh (Carrier) and Tsilhqot'in (Chilcotin); and in the territories, through the Tutchone languages, Tlicho (Dogrib) and the Slavey-Hare languages. Beyond Canadian borders, languages such as the Apache languages and Navajo continue to be spoke in the United States.

Within this report the following Athabaskan languages are presented:

• Dakelh (Carrier)
• Dane-zaa (Beaver)
• Dene, not otherwise specified (n.o.s.)
• Gwich'in
• Slavey-Hare languages
• Kaska (Nahani)
• Tahltan
• Tlicho (Dogrib)
• Tse'khene (Sekani)
• Tsilhqot'in (Chilcotin)
• Tsuu T'ina (Sarsi)
• Tutchone languages
• Wetsuwet'en-Babine
• Tlingit
• Athabaskan languages, not included elsewhere (n.i.e.)

Summary language statistics are provided for these languages in table 2.

Knowledge and mother tongue

In 2021, there were 20,390 people who reported that they could speak an Athabaskan language well enough to conduct a conversation. The number of those who reported that an Athabaskan language was their mother tongue—that is, the language first learned as a child and still understood—was 16,375.

The largest group within the Athabaskan language family was those who reported Dene n.o.s., with 11,560 speakers and 9,815 having a Dene n.o.s. mother tongue;^Note  this was followed by Slavey-Hare languages (2,325 speakers and 1,850 mother tongue), and Tlicho (Dogrib) (2,135 speakers and 1,790 mother tongue).

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Key concepts

Mother tongue – Refers to the first language learned in childhood that is still understood.

Knowledge – Refers to those who were able to speak a given language well enough to conduct a conversation.

Average age – Average age is a good indicator of the general health of a language. The average age of the mother tongue population is an indicator of the intergenerational transmission of an Indigenous language. A language with a young average age implies that children and young people are continuing to acquire an Indigenous language as their first language.

Indigenous language acquisition – This variable refers to how Indigenous language speakers learned the language they speak, whether as a mother tongue or as a second language.

Learned as a mother tongue – This group is comprised of those who reported an Indigenous mother tongue on the 2021 Census and who could still speak that same language well enough to conduct a conversation.

Learned as a second language – This group is comprised of those who could speak an Indigenous language, but who did not report that same language on the mother tongue question.

Second language index – The second language index is calculated by dividing the number of people who can speak an Indigenous language by the number who reported the same language as their mother tongue, expressed per 100 people. A value of 100 implies all speakers learned their language as a mother tongue, whereas more than 100 implies some speakers must have learned their language as a second language.

Silent speakers – This refers to people who have an Indigenous mother tongue, but—while they still understand it—can no longer speak the language well enough to conduct a conversation. In some circumstances, this may reflect those who have not continued to use their mother tongue over time or those who do not have a community of other speakers of the same language with whom to converse.

Home language – This refers to the extent to which respondents speak a given language at home.

Spoken most often at home – This refers to the language the person speaks most often at home at the time of data collection. A person can report more than one language as "spoken most often at home" if the languages are spoken equally often. In many circumstances, a language spoken most often at home could be thought to reflect the speaker’s “main” language.

Language(s) spoken regularly at home – This refers to the language(s), if any, that the person speaks at home on a regular basis at the time of data collection, other than the language(s) they speak most often at home.

Continuity index – This index measures language retention by dividing the number of people who speak a given language most often at home by the total number who have that same language as their mother tongue, expressed per 100 people.

Language of work – This refers to the extent to which respondents speak a given language at work, for the population aged 15 years and over, who worked since 2020. As with home language, it can be expressed as either the language used most often at work, or a language that is spoken regularly.

For more information on concepts from the 2021 Census of Population, see Dictionary, Census of Population, 2021 (statcan.gc.ca)

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Age is a useful indicator of the degree to which languages are transmitted from one generation to the next. A language with a younger age profile typically means that younger people continue to learn and speak the language at a rate commensurate with older generations. The average age of Athabaskan languages speakers was 40 years, which was slightly lower than the age of those who reported it as their mother tongue (42 years). On average, Athabaskan languages speakers were older than all Indigenous language speakers, as the average age of all of those who could speak an Indigenous language was 37 years.

The roots and current residence of most modern Athabaskan language speakers are in the western provinces of Canada, along with the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Close to four in ten Athabaskan language speakers resided in Saskatchewan; however, almost all of this group was comprised by those who reported Dene n.o.s., as the share of those who reported speaking Dene n.o.s. was 69.9% in Saskatchewan. Significant numbers of Dene n.o.s. speakers were also found in Alberta (15.3%), Manitoba (7.3%) and the Northwest Territories (5.2%).

Data table for Map 1

Census subdivisions with at least 10 people who speak an Athabaskan language well enough to conduct a conversation, Canada, 2021
Table summary
The information is grouped by Athabaskan language (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Athabaskan language	Number of Census subdivisions
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
Dakelh (Carrier)	36
Dane-zaa (Beaver)	10
Dene, n.o.s.	77
Gwich'in	8
Slavey-Hare languages	32
Kaska (Nahani)	6
Tahltan	7
Tlicho (Dogrib)	11
Tse'khene (Sekani)	6
Tsilhqot'in (Chilcotin)	16
Tsuu T'ina (Sarsi)	1
Tutchone languages	9
Wetsuwet'en-Babine	11
Tlingit	8
Athabaskan languages, n.i.e.	3

Alberta was home to many Athabaskan language speakers. Notably, the vast majority of Tsuu T'ina (Sarsi) speakers (97.1%) lived in Alberta.^Note  Alongside Tsuu T’ina (Sarsi), Alberta was home to a large shares of those who spoke Dane-zaa (Beaver) (22.2%), Slavey-Hare languages (17.0%), Dene, n.o.s. (15.3%), Gwich'in (6.9%), Tlingit (6.7%) and Tahltan (6.3%).

British Columbia held a diverse group of Athabaskan language speakers. The majority of those who spoke Tse'khene (Sekani) (100.0%), Dakelh (Carrier) (98.7%), Tsilhqot'in (Chilcotin) (98.3%), Tahltan (91.7%), Wetsuwet'en-Babine (84.5%) and Dane-zaa (Beaver) (75.9%) lived in British Columbia. Alongside these languages, there was also a sizeable share of those who spoke Tlingit (20.0%), Tutchone languages (7.8%), Kaska (Nahani) (6.1%) and Gwich'in (5.2%).

More than four in five speakers of Tutchone languages (87.5%) lived in the Yukon, as did 81.6% of those who spoke Kaska (Nahani) and the majority of those who spoke Tlingit (63.3%). Close to one quarter of those who spoke Gwich'in (24.1%) lived in the territory.

The majority of those who spoke Tlicho (Dogrib) (95.8%) lived in the Northwest Territories. This was also the place of residence for three quarters of those who spoke a Slavey-Hare language (75.1%) and 56.9% of those who spoke Gwich'in. Just over one-in-twenty of those who reported Dene, n.o.s. (5.2%) lived in the Northwest Territories.

Home use, second languages and silent speakers

The extent to which people speak a language at home is an important indicator of language maintenance and its overall health. In 2021, 15,140 people spoke an Athabaskan language at home. For the majority of this group (66.1%), an Athabaskan language was spoken most often at home; while for the other 33.9% it was spoken at home on a regular basis. Chart 1 shows the share of an Athabaskan language speakers who spoke an Indigenous language most often or regularly at home; it is organized by the average age of the mother tongue population in order to show variations on the relationship between the age of speakers and their likelihood of using the language at home.

Data table for Chart 1

Data table for chart 1
Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for chart 1 Spoken most often at home and Spoken regularly at home, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).

	Spoken most often at home	Spoken regularly at home
	percent
Notes: n.o.s. = not otherwise specified and n.i.e. = not included elsewhere. Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
Tsuu T'ina (Sarsi)	0.0	91.4
Dene, n.o.s.	61.6	18.7
Tlicho (Dogrib)	50.8	30.4
Tutchone languages	4.8	47.6
Athabaskan languages, n.i.e.	9.1	45.5
Dane-zaa (Beaver)	12.7	27.3
Slavey-Hare languages	39.4	30.1
Tsilhqot'in (Chilcotin)	32.2	31.6
Tahltan	25.0	35.4
Dakelh (Carrier)	28.6	37.3
Tlingit	6.7	43.3
Kaska (Nahani)	4.0	40.0
Wetsuwet'en-Babine	27.6	31.0
Gwich'in	19.0	34.5
Tse'khene (Sekani)	7.4	25.9

Most Athabaskan language speakers learned their language as their mother tongue. This was true of 74.2% of all people who could speak an Athabaskan language well enough to conduct a conversation. The remaining 25.8% of speakers are classified as “second-language speakers” (see chart 2 for the share of second language speakers for specific languages); however, this designation should not be taken literally as this group could include those who learned an Athabaskan language as a third or fourth language.

Data table for Chart 2

Data table for chart 2
Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for chart 2 Second language , calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).

	Second language
	percent
Notes: n.o.s. = not otherwise specified and n.i.e. = not included elsewhere. Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
Tsuu T'ina (Sarsi)	48.6
Dene, n.o.s.	18.7
Tlicho (Dogrib)	22.9
Tutchone languages	67.2
Athabaskan languages, n.i.e.	59.1
Dane-zaa (Beaver)	29.6
Slavey-Hare languages	25.4
Tsilhqot'in (Chilcotin)	30.3
Tahltan	33.3
Dakelh (Carrier)	44.5
Tlingit	66.7
Kaska (Nahani)	57.1
Wetsuwet'en-Babine	48.3
Gwich'in	48.3
Tse'khene (Sekani)	63.0

In general, those who learn their language as a mother tongue are more likely to use it at home than those who have acquired it as a second language. Table 3 shows the share of home use for those who learned an Athabaskan language as a mother tongue and those who learned it as a second language. Among those who learned an Athabaskan language as their mother tongue, 79.5% spoke the language at home (59.7% most often and 19.8% on a regular basis). Among second-language speakers, 60.0% spoke the language at home (18.5% most often and 41.4% on a regular basis). Home use among second-language speakers is an important indicator of revitalization, in relation to restoring the intergenerational transmission of Indigenous languages.

Silent speakers

The First Peoples’ Cultural Council (FPCC) defines silent speakers as “…people who have a good understanding of their language but do not speak it. There are many kinds of silent speakers, including people who spoke their language before attending residential school or people who grew up hearing their language and understand it, but do not speak it.”^Note  This indicator is useful in the work toward the reclamation and recovery of Indigenous languages.

An additional 1,370 people who reported that an Athabaskan language was their mother tongue were no longer able to speak the language well enough to conduct a conversation; for the purposes of this study, these people are classified as “silent speakers”—those who can no longer conduct a conversation in their mother tongue, but still understand it, nonetheless.This group made up 8.4% of all of those with an Athabaskan language as their mother tongue.

Language of work

The Census of Population also collects information on the languages that people use most often at work. Among all employed persons, aged 15 years and over, who could speak an Athabaskan language, 21.4% reported that it was the language they used most often at work. Another 14.2% said that they spoke an Athabaskan language at work on a regular basis.

Athabaskan language-specific vitality summary

The following is a summary of the vitality of each of the languages discussed in this report, using the indicators of knowledge, mother tongue, the average ages of those with a mother tongue, second language speakers and silent speakers, the share of speakers who learned their language as a mother tongue and the proportion of those who speak their language most often or regularly at home. Together these are important indicators of language maintenance and revitalization.

Tsuu T'ina (Sarsi) had 175 speakers. There were 90 people who reported it as their mother tongue. While those with a mother tongue had an average age of 19 years, the average age of second language speakers was 22 years. More than half (54.3%) of its speakers acquired their language as a mother tongue. Among home users, 100.0% spoke it regularly, though no speakers reported speaking the language most often.

Dene, n.o.s. had 11,555 speakers. There were 9,815 people who reported it as their mother tongue. While those with a mother tongue had an average age of 36 years, the average age of second language speakers was 30 years and the average age of silent speakers was 31 years. The majority (81.4%) of its speakers acquired their language as a mother tongue. Among home users, 76.8% spoke it most often and 23.3% spoke it regularly.

Tlicho (Dogrib) had 2,135 speakers. There were 1,790 people who reported it as their mother tongue. While those with a mother tongue had an average age of 42 years, the average age of second language speakers was 31 years and the average age of silent speakers was 24 years. More than three quarters (77.3%) of its speakers acquired their language as a mother tongue. Among home users, 62.4% spoke it most often and 37.4% spoke it regularly.

Tutchone languages had 315 speakers. There were 180 people who reported it as their mother tongue. While those with a mother tongue had an average age of 48 years, the average age of second language speakers was 35 years and the average age of silent speakers was 39 years. Less than one third (31.7%) of its speakers acquired their language as a mother tongue. Among home users, 8.6% spoke it most often and 85.7% spoke it regularly.

Dane-zaa (Beaver) had 275 speakers. There were 220 people who reported it as their mother tongue. While those with a mother tongue had an average age of 51 years, the average age of second language speakers was 43 years and the average age of silent speakers was 36 years. The majority (69.1%) of its speakers acquired their language as a mother tongue. Among home users, 31.8% spoke it most often and 68.2% spoke it regularly.

Slavey-Hare languages had 2,325 speakers. There were 1,850 people who reported it as their mother tongue. While those with a mother tongue had an average age of 52 years, the average age of second language speakers was 40 years and the average age of silent speakers was 43 years. Close to three quarters (74.6%) of its speakers acquired their language as a mother tongue. Among home users, 56.5% spoke it most often and 43.2% spoke it regularly.

Tsilhqot'in (Chilcotin) had 870 speakers. There were 630 people who reported it as their mother tongue. While those with a mother tongue had an average age of 53 years, the average age of second language speakers was 37 years and the average age of silent speakers was 42 years. The majority (69.5%) of its speakers acquired their language as a mother tongue. Among home users, 50.5% spoke it most often and 49.5% spoke it regularly.

Tahltan had 240 speakers. There were 175 people who reported it as their mother tongue. While those with a mother tongue had an average age of 54 years, the average age of second language speakers was 43 years and the average age of silent speakers was 72 years. Close to two thirds (64.6%) of its speakers acquired their language as a mother tongue. Among home users, 41.4% spoke it most often and 58.6% spoke it regularly.

Dakelh (Carrier) had 1,555 speakers. There were 1,005 people who reported it as their mother tongue. While those with a mother tongue had an average age of 55 years, the average age of second language speakers was 42 years and the average age of silent speakers was 43 years. More than half (55.6%) of its speakers acquired their language as a mother tongue. Among home users, 43.4% spoke it most often and 56.6% spoke it regularly.

Tlingit had 150 speakers. There were 75 people who reported it as their mother tongue. While those with a mother tongue had an average age of 58 years, the average age of second language speakers was 44 years and the average age of silent speakers was 60 years. Less than one third (30.0%) of its speakers acquired their language as a mother tongue. Among home users, 13.3% spoke it most often and 86.7% spoke it regularly.

Kaska (Nahani) had 250 speakers. There were 110 people who reported it as their mother tongue. While those with a mother tongue had an average age of 60 years, the average age of second language speakers was 39 years and the average age of silent speakers was 60 years. Just over four-in-ten (42.0%) of its speakers acquired their language as a mother tongue. Among home users, 9.5% spoke it most often and 95.2% spoke it regularly.

Wetsuwet'en-Babine had 290 speakers. There were 180 people who reported it as their mother tongue. While those with a mother tongue had an average age of 61 years, the average age of second language speakers was 43 years and the average age of silent speakers was 58 years. Just over half (51.7%) of its speakers acquired their language as a mother tongue. Among home users, 47.1% spoke it most often and 52.9% spoke it regularly.

Gwich'in had 290 speakers. There were 235 people who reported it as their mother tongue. While those with a mother tongue had an average age of 62 years, the average age of second language speakers was 42 years and the average age of silent speakers was 55 years. More than half (53.4%) of its speakers acquired their language as a mother tongue. Among home users, 35.5% spoke it most often and 64.5% spoke it regularly.

Tse'khene (Sekani) had 135 speakers. There were 60 people who reported it as their mother tongue. While those with a mother tongue had an average age of 67 years, the average age of second language speakers was 45 years. Less than four-in-ten (37.0%) of its speakers acquired their language as a mother tongue. Among home users, 22.2% spoke it most often and 77.8% spoke it regularly.

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About this report

This report is based on data from the 2021 Census of Population long-form questionnaire, which collected information for the population in private households. To ensure the confidentiality of responses collected for the census, a random rounding process is used to alter the values reported in individual cells. As a result, when these data are summed or grouped, the total value may not match the sum of the individual values since the total and subtotals are independently rounded. Similarly, percentage distributions, which are calculated on rounded data, may not necessarily add up to 100%.

Because of random rounding, counts and percentages may vary slightly between different census products such as the analytical documents, highlight tables and data tables. While the effect of random rounding is generally negligible it may have a greater effect on certain populations, such as languages with smaller numbers of speakers.

Furthermore, languages with low numbers of speakers are suppressed to protect the confidentiality of respondents to the census questionnaire. As a result, these languages are collectively disseminated through the label of languages “not included elsewhere (n.i.e.)”.

Self-reporting of language data

Like all items on the census questionnaire, the language questions on the 2021 Census of Population are based on self-reporting. Therefore, responses to indicators—such as the ability to speak a language well enough to conduct a conversation—may vary depending upon the respondent, even among those with similar linguistic backgrounds. The issue of self-reporting also intersects with the fact that some respondents report the language(s) they speak within broad categories, while others report more specifically.

For more information language concepts, see Languages Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021 (statcan.gc.ca)

Incomplete enumeration

During the 2021 Census of Population, 63 census subdivisions defined as reserves and settlements were incompletely enumerated. For these reserves and settlements, enumeration either was not permitted or could not be completed for various reasons, such as evacuations because of forest fires or access restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Counts of speakers for some languages were more impacted by incompletely enumerated reserves and settlements than others. For example, the Tsuu T’ina language and Iroquoian languages, such as Mohawk and Cayuga, are undercounted as reserves and settlements associated with these languages did not participate in the census. Regionally, other languages may be more impacted than others.

For more information on incompletely enumerated reserves and settlements, see Appendix 1.5 – Incompletely enumerated reserves and settlements in the Guide to the Census of Population, 2021.

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Data table for Map 2

Number of people who speak Dakelh (Carrier) well enough to conduct a conversation, Census subdivisions, Canada, 2021
Table summary
The information is grouped by Number of speakers (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Number of speakers	Number of Census subdivisions
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
10 - 100	33
101 - 225	3

Data table for Map 3

Number of people who speak Dane-zaa (Beaver) well enough to conduct a conversation, Census subdivisions, Canada, 2021
Table summary
The information is grouped by Number of speakers (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Number of speakers	Number of Census subdivisions
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
10 - 65	10

Data table for Map 4

Number of people who speak Dene, n.o.s. well enough to conduct a conversation, Census subdivisions, Canada, 2021
Table summary
The information is grouped by Number of speakers (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Number of speakers	Number of Census subdivisions
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
10 - 100	58
101 - 500	11
501 - 1,000	5
1,001 - 2,080	3

Data table for Map 5

Number of people who speak Gwich'in well enough to conduct a conversation, Census subdivisions, Canada, 2021
Table summary
The information is grouped by Number of speakers (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Number of speakers	Number of Census subdivisions
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
10 - 75	8

Data table for Map 6

Number of people who speak a Slavey-Hare language well enough to conduct a conversation, Census subdivisions, Canada, 2021
Table summary
The information is grouped by Number of speakers (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Number of speakers	Number of Census subdivisions
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
10 - 100	25
101 - 310	7

Data table for Map 7

Number of people who speak Kaska (Nahani) well enough to conduct a conversation, Census subdivisions, Canada, 2021
Table summary
The information is grouped by Number of speakers (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Number of speakers	Number of Census subdivisions
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
10 - 80	6

Data table for Map 8

Number of people who speak Tahltan well enough to conduct a conversation, Census subdivisions, Canada, 2021
Table summary
The information is grouped by Number of speakers (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Number of speakers	Number of Census subdivisions
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
10 - 100	7

Data table for Map 9

Number of people who speak Tlicho (Dogrib) well enough to conduct a conversation, Census subdivisions, Canada, 2021
Table summary
The information is grouped by Number of speakers (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Number of speakers	Number of Census subdivisions
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
10 - 100	7
101 - 500	3
501 - 1,000	0
1,001 - 1,050	1

Data table for Map 10

Number of people who speak Tse'khene (Sekani) well enough to conduct a conversation, Census subdivisions, Canada, 2021
Table summary
The information is grouped by Number of speakers (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Number of speakers	Number of Census subdivisions
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
10 - 65	6

Data table for Map 11

Number of people who speak Tsilhqot'in (Chilcotin) well enough to conduct a conversation, Census subdivisions, Canada, 2021
Table summary
The information is grouped by Number of speakers (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Number of speakers	Number of Census subdivisions
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
10 - 100	14
101 - 175	2

Data table for Map 12

Number of people who speak Tsuu T'ina (Sarsi) well enough to conduct a conversation, Census subdivisions, Canada, 2021
Table summary
The information is grouped by Number of speakers (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Number of speakers	Number of Census subdivisions
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
101 - 170	1

Data table for Map 13

Number of people who speak a Tutchone language well enough to conduct a conversation, Census subdivisions, Canada, 2021
Table summary
The information is grouped by Number of speakers (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Number of speakers	Number of Census subdivisions
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
10 - 80	9

Data table for Map 14

Number of people who speak Wetsuwet'en-Babine well enough to conduct a conversation, Census subdivisions, Canada, 2021
Table summary
The information is grouped by Number of speakers (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Number of speakers	Number of Census subdivisions
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
10 - 55	11

Data table for Map 15

Number of people who speak Tlingit well enough to conduct a conversation, Census subdivisions, Canada, 2021
Table summary
The information is grouped by Number of speakers (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Number of speakers	Number of Census subdivisions
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
10 - 35	8

Data table for Map 16

Number of people who speak Athabaskan languages, n.i.e. well enough to conduct a conversation, Census subdivisions, Canada, 2021
Table summary
The information is grouped by Number of speakers (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Number of speakers	Number of Census subdivisions
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
10 - 35	3