DCHP-2

First Nations language First Nation language, First Nation's language DCHP-2 (October 2016)

• n. — Ethnicities

  any of the many languages spoken by or deriving from First Nations communities.

  Type: 4. Culturally Significant — The term First Nations language in Canada refers to any of the languages spoken by the First Nations peoples. As aboriginal language (see entry) is an umbrella term, First Nations language specifically designates the languages generally not spoken by Inuit or Métis peoples. The most common aboriginal language in Canada, Cree, is a First Nations language and is part of the Algonquian language family, the largest in the country (see Indigenous Foundations reference).
  Of great concern nowadays is the rapid decline in the use of First Nations languages in homes across Canada (see Indigenous Foundations reference). This is largely a result of the residential school system that sought to erase any trace of aboriginal culture in the country from the late 1800s onward (see the 1990 quotation).
  The term is used the second most frequently in Canada, after Australia, where it is used to refer to indigenous languages spoken in that country, with all other listed locations far behind (see Chart 1).

  See also: residential school  First Nation  Aboriginal language