Indian languages in the United State American Indian Language statistics speakers of american indian languages how many indigenous languages spoken in the US by number of speakers
The following tables list 154 indigenous American languages which are still spoken in the United States, the number of speakers, and where the speakers are located. Table 1 arranges the languages alphabetically, while Table 2 arranges them according to number of speakers.
Table 2: Indigenous Languages Spoken in the United States (by
Number of Speakers)
| Speakers[2] | Language | Location |
| 148,530 | Navajo | Arizona; Utah; New Mexico; Utah |
| 35,000 | Ojibwa, Western | Montana; Lake Superior; North Dakota [3] |
| 20,355 | Dakota | Nebraska; Minnesota; North Dakota; South Dakota; Montana [3] |
| 17,890 | Choctaw | Oklahoma |
| 12,693 | Apache, Western | Arizona |
| 11,905 | Cherokee | Oklahoma; North Carolina |
| 11,819 | Papago-Pima | Arizona [7] |
| 10,000 | Yupik, Central | Alaska |
| 8,000 | Ojibwa, Eastern | Michigan [3] |
| 6,413 | Zuni | New Mexico |
| 6,213 | Muskogee | Oklahoma; Alabama; Florida |
| 6,000 | Lakota | Nebraska; Minnesota; North Dakota; South Dakota; Montana |
| 5,264 | Hopi | Arizona; Utah; New Mexico |
| 4,580 | Keres, Eastern | New Mexico |
| 4,280 | Crow | Montana |
| 4,000 | Inuktitut, Northwest Alaska | Alaska |
| 3,500 | Inuktitut, North Alaskan | Alaska |
| 3,390 | Keres, Western | New Mexico |
| 3,000 | Yakima | Washington |
| 2,284 | Shoshoni | Nevada; Idaho; Wyoming |
| 2,100 | Micmac | Boston; New York City [5] |
| 2,000 | Paiute, Northern | Nevada; Oregon; California; Idaho |
| 1,984 | Ute-Southern Paiute | Colorado; Utah; Arizona; Nevada; California |
| 1,800 | Apache, Mescalero-Chiricahua | New Mexico |
| 1,721 | Cheyenne | Montana |
| 1,631 | Tiwa, Southern | New Mexico |
| 1,301 | Jemez | New Mexico |
| 1,300 | Tewa | New Mexico; Arizona |
| 1,100 | Yupik, Central Siberian | Alaska [8] |
| 1,092 | Kiowa | Oklahoma |
| 1,070 | Cree, Western | Montana [5] |
| 1,062 | Blackfoot | Montana [5] |
| 1,038 | Arapaho | Wyoming; Oklahoma |
| 1,007 | Havasupai-Walapai-Yavapai | Arizona |
| 1,000 | Chickasaw | Oklahoma |
| 1,000 | Hawaiian | Hawaii |
| 927 | Tiwa, Northern | New Mexico |
| 887 | Malecite-Passamaquoddy | Maine [5] |
| 854 | Comanche | Oklahoma |
| 812 | Apache, Jicarilla | New Mexico |
| 800 | Mesquakie | Iowa; Oklahoma; Kansas; Nebraska |
| 775 | Tlingit | Alaska |
| 697 | Nez Perce | Idaho |
| 600 | Koasati | Louisiana; Texas |
| 539 | Kikapoo | Kansas; Oklahoma; Texas [7] |
| 496 | Mikasuki | Florida |
| 406 | Yaqui | Arizona [6] |
| 400 | Yupik, Pacific Gulf | Alaska |
| 365 | Gwich’in | Alaska |
| 343 | Quechan | California |
| 321 | Cocopa | Arizona [6] |
| 300 | Koyukon | Alaska |
| 256 | Alabama | Texas |
| 250 | Hocak/Winnebago | Nebraska |
| 234 | Mohave | Arizona |
| 234 | Shawnee | Oklahoma |
| 200 | Kalispel-Pend Dóreille | Montana |
| 200 | Seneca | New York; Oklahoma |
| 200 | Tenino | Oregon |
| 181 | Maricopa | Arizona |
| 150 | Assiniboine | Montana [3] |
| 141 | Caddo | Oklahoma |
| 138 | Haida | Alaska |
| 126 | Karok | California |
| 115 | Tanana, Upper | Alaska |
| 113 | Tsimshian | Alaska [5] |
| 112 | Okangan | Washington |
| 107 | Salish, Southern Puget Sound | Washington |
| 102 | Kutenai | Idaho; Montana [5] |
| 100 | Hidatsa | North Dakota |
| 100 | Skagit | Washington |
| 100 | Walla Walla | Oregon |
| 97 | Kumiai | California [6] |
| 90 | Aleut | Alaska |
| 90 | Arikara | North Dakota |
| 88 | Klamath-Modoc | Oregon |
| 85 | Omaha-Ponca | Nebraska; Oklahoma |
| 78 | Yokuts | California |
| 75 | Tanaina | Alaska |
| 69 | Wasco-Wishram | Oregon; Washington |
| 65 | Tanacross | Alaska |
| 60 | Lushootseed | Washington |
| 50 | Kashaya | California |
| 50 | Oneida | New York; Wisconsin |
| 50 | Potawatomi | Michigan; Wisconsin; Kansas; Oklahoma |
| 50 | Spokane | Washington |
| 50 | Umatilla | Oregon |
| 43 | Luiseno | California |
| 40 | Coeur D’Alene | Idaho |
| 40 | Degexit’an | Alaska |
| 40 | Kuskokwim, Upper | Alaska |
| 40 | Pomo, Central | California |
| 40 | Pomo, Southern | California |
| 39 | Columbia-Wenatchi | Washington |
| 39 | Menomini | Wisconsin |
| 35 | Cahuilla | California |
| 34 | Quapaw | Oklahoma |
| 30 | Salish, Straits | Washington [3] |
| 30 | Tanana, Lower | Alaska |
| 21 | Ahtena | Alaska |
| 20 | Abnaki-Penobscot | Maine [3] |
| 20 | Mono | California |
| 20 | Panamint | California |
| 19 | Kansa | Oklahoma |
| 18 | Apache, Kiowa | Oklahoma |
| 17 | Chinook Wawa | Oregon |
| 15 | Onondaga | New York |
| 12 | Holikachuk | Alaska |
| 12 | Nisenan | California |
| 12 | Shasta | California |
| 12 | Yuchi | Oklahoma |
| 10 | Achumawi | California |
| 10 | Apache, Lipan | New Mexico |
| 10 | Gros Ventre | Montana |
| 10 | Kato | California |
| 10 | Kawaiisu | California |
| 10 | Maidu, Northwest | California |
| *10 | Makah | Washington |
| 10 | Miwok, Northern Sierra | California |
| 10 | Miwok, Southern Sierra | California |
| 10 | Pomo, Southeastern | California |
| 10 | Snohomish | Washington |
| 10 | Tututni | Oregon |
| 10 | Washo | California; Nevada |
| 10 | Wichita | Oklahoma |
| 10 | Wintu | California |
| 10 | Yurok | California |
| 9 | Cupeno | California |
| 8 | Hupa | California |
| 8 | Miwok, Lake | California |
| 7 | Han | Alaska |
| 6 | Mandan | North Dakota |
| 6 | Quinault | Washington |
| 6 | Tubatulabal | California |
| 6 | Yuki | California |
| 5 | Chehalis, Lower | Washington |
| 5 | Chetco | Oregon |
| 5 | Clallam | Washington |
| 5 | Miwok, Central Sierra | California |
| 5 | Osage | Oklahoma |
| 5 | Tolowa | Oregon |
| 5 | Unami | Oklahoma; New Jersey; Delaware |
| 4 | Atsugewi | California |
| 4 | Pawnee | Oklahoma |
| 2 | Chehalis, Upper | Washington |
| 2 | Cowlitz | Washington |
| 1 | Coos | Oregon |
| 1 | Eyak | Alaska |
| 1 | Kalapuya | Oregon |
| 1 | Miwok, Coast | California |
| 1 | Miwok, Plains | California |
| 1 | Pomo, Northeastern | California |
| 1 | Serrano | California |
| 361,978 | TOTAL |
Source: Adapted from B. Grimes (1996). Ethnologue: Languages of the
world. Dallas: SIL International. Updated February 1999 at www.sil.org/ethnologue.
NOTES
1. Hinton (1998) suggests that one reason for these different estimates is
varying interpretations of language differentiation — some languages may be considered
either distinct languages or simply dialects.
2. These figures are estimates only. Some sources may report dialects or
second-language speakers, or number of speakers in neighboring countries.
3. This figure includes speakers in Canada.
4. Additional speakers of this language are in Russia
5. Additional speakers of this language are in Canada.
6. Additional speakers of this language are in Mexico.
7. This figure includes speakers in Mexico.
8. Additional speakers of this language are in Siberia.
REFERENCES
Crystal, D. (1987). The Cambridge encyclopedia of language. New York:
Cambridge University Press.
Crawford, J. (1999). Bilingual education: History, politics, theory and
practice. (4th ed.) Los Angeles: Bilingual Educational Services.
Grimes, B. (Ed.). (1996). Ethnologue: Languages of the world. (13th ed.)
Dallas: SIL, International. Online updates available at http://www.sil.org/ethnologue/
Hinton, L. (1998). Language loss and revitalization in California: Overview. International
Journal of the Sociology of Language, 132, 83-93.
Krauss, M. (1998). The condition of Native North American languages: The need for
realistic assessment and action. International Journal of the Sociology of Language,
132, 9-21.
