The Dena'ina language is a well-documented Northern Dene Alaska Native language in south-central Alaska. The Dena'ina language is on the brink of going to sleep. The Dena'ina community strongly desires for the Dena'ina language to once again thrive in the community. Language-use within the community is a contributing factor to the health of the…

The present language situation among Alaskan natives and the prospects for maintaining the traditional languages are such that in order to plan for a continued native language presence, it must be recognized that: (1) the shift to Engish is a natural result of a set of social conditions, with no single factor or group to blame; (2) the decline of…

This paper traces the history and development of Yupik, the first language for almost 14,000 Native Alaskans, and reports findings of the Bilingual/Bicultural Needs Assessment survey conducted in 1983. Yupik remains one of the strongest Native American languages, despite historical factors that have increased English usage among Native Alaskans.…