Introduction: Reversing Language Shift in Indigenous America—Collaborations and Views from the Field

Abstract

Throughout the Western hemisphere—indeed, throughout the world—indigenous languages are being displaced at an alarming rate. While no one knows precisely how many languages were spoken in North America prior to European contact, estimates range from 300 to 600. In what is now the United States and Canada, the number is now reduced to 210. In some respects, this is a story of remarkable resilience and resistance. But numbers alone belie the fragility of these languages and their prospects for survival.