Self-rated ability to speak and understand an Aboriginal language by Aboriginal identity^{1 2 3}

Source: Aboriginal Peoples Survey 2012.

Excludes persons living on Indian reserves or settlements.

Aboriginal identity includes persons living off reserve who reported being an Aboriginal person, that is, First Nations (North American Indian), Métis or Inuk (Inuit) and/or those who reported Registered or Treaty Indian status, that is registered under the Indian Act of Canada, and/or those who reported membership in a First Nation or Indian band. The sum of the categories included in this variable is greater than the total population estimate for Aboriginal identity because a person may have reported more than one Aboriginal identity: for example, a person could self-identify as both First Nations and Métis.

Proxy reporting was used in the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey for most children aged 6 to 14 years, nearly half of youth aged 15 to 17 years and for adults in certain specific situations (for example when the selected adult was not able to answer for health related reasons, due to a language barrier, or because the selected respondent was going to be away from home for the duration of the survey.)

Bootstrapping techniques were used to produce the coefficient of variation (CV) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Data with a coefficient of variation (CV) from 16.6% to 33.3% are identified by an (E) and should be interpreted with caution.

Data with a coefficient of variation (CV) greater than 33.3% were suppressed (F) due to extreme sampling variability.

Registered or Treaty Indian status refers to whether or not a person reported being a Registered or Treaty Indian. Registered Indians are persons who are registered under the Indian Act of Canada. Treaty Indians are persons who belong to a First Nation or Indian band that signed a treaty with the Crown. Registered or Treaty Indians are sometimes also called Status Indians.

All percentages for "self-rated ability to speak and understand an Aboriginal language" are calculated using the number of persons in "total, ability to speak an Aboriginal language" as denominator.

Respondents who indicated being able to speak an Aboriginal language and who identified their primary Aboriginal language spoken (see following footnote) were asked, 'How would you rate your ability to speak this Aboriginal language? Would you say you can speak... Very well? Relatively well? With effort? Only a few words?'.

The primary Aboriginal language spoken is either (1) the only Aboriginal language a person is able to speak, or (2) the Aboriginal language that the person can speak the best, if he or she can speak more than one Aboriginal language (up to three languages can be reported). Secondary Aboriginal languages have not been assessed for ability level.

'Not specified' categories consist of item non-response ('Refusal', 'Don't know', and 'Not stated').

Respondents who indicated not being able to speak an Aboriginal language were asked if they were able to understand an Aboriginal language, even if only a few words. All respondents who indicated being able to either speak or understand an Aboriginal language and who identified their primary Aboriginal language spoken or understood (see footnotes 9, 13) were asked, 'How would you rate your ability to understand this Aboriginal language? Would you say you can understand... Very well? Relatively well? With effort? Only a few words?'.

Includes persons who are able to speak an Aboriginal language, and persons who are not able to speak an Aboriginal language but are able to understand an Aboriginal language.

The primary Aboriginal language understood is either (1) the only Aboriginal language a person is able to understand, or (2) the Aboriginal language that the person can understand the best, if he or she can understand more than one Aboriginal language (up to three languages can be reported). Secondary Aboriginal languages have not been assessed for ability level. Persons who can speak an Aboriginal language were not asked to indicate their primary Aboriginal language understood, since it is assumed that their primary Aboriginal language spoken is also their primary Aboriginal language understood.