List of endangered languages in the United States


An endangered language is a language that it is at risk of falling out of use, generally because it has few surviving speakers. If it loses all of its native speakers, it becomes an extinct language. UNESCO defines four levels of language endangerment between "safe" and "extinct":
LanguageSpeakersStatusComments
Achumawi language8Critically endangered
Acoma-Laguna language10,670 Definitely endangeredKeresan languages
Ahtna language80Critically endangered
Alabama language370Definitely endangered
Aleut language 150 Critically endangeredNumber of speakers includes both Eastern and Western dialects.
Aleut language 150 Severely endangeredNumber of speakers includes both Eastern and Western dialects.
Arapaho language 1,000Vulnerable
Arikara language3Critically endangered
Assiniboine language 250Critically endangered
Blackfoot language 5,100Vulnerable
Caddo language25Critically endangered
Cahuilla language15Critically endangered
Central Alaskan Yup'ik language18,950VulnerableTwo varieties, one on Nunivak Island
Central Pomo language8Critically endangered
Central Siberian Yupik language 1,010Vulnerable
Central Sierra Miwok languageCritically endangered
Chemehuevi language Critically endangered
Cherokee language 1,000Vulnerable
Cherokee language 22,000Vulnerable
Cheyenne language Vulnerable
Cheyenne language Vulnerable
Chickasaw language Severely endangered
Chinook Jargon language Critically endangered
Choctaw language Vulnerable
Choctaw language Vulnerable
Choctaw language Vulnerable
Cocopa language Severely endangered
Coeur d'Alene language Critically endangered
Columbia-Moses language Critically endangeredColumbia-Wenatchi language
Comanche language Severely endangered
Creek language Vulnerable
Crow language Vulnerable
Gros Ventre language Critically endangered
Gwich'in language Severely endangered
Halkomelem language Severely endangeredPrimarily in Canada
Hän language Critically endangered
Havasupai language Definitely endangered
Hawaiian language Vulnerable
Hawai'i Sign LanguageUnknownCritically endangered1987 Honolulu Star-Bulletin; 1998 Honolulu Advertiser
Hidatsa language Vulnerable
Holikachuk language Critically endangered
Hopi language Vulnerable
Hualapai language Vulnerable
Hupa language Critically endangered
Ingalik language Critically endangered
Ipai language Critically endangered
Jemez language Vulnerable
Jicarilla Apache language Severely endangered
Kalispel-Pend d'Oreille Critically endangeredMontana Salish language
Karuk language Severely endangered
Kashaya language Critically endangered
Kawaiisu language Critically endangered
Kickapoo language Vulnerable
Kickapoo language Vulnerable
Kickapoo language Vulnerable
Kiksht language Critically endangered
Kings River Yokuts Critically endangered
Kiowa language Severely endangered
Kiowa Apache language Critically endangered
Klallam language Critically endangered
Koasati language Definitely endangered
Koasati language Definitely endangered
Konkow language Critically endangered
Koyukon language Critically endangered
Kutenai language Severely endangeredPrimarily in Canada
Kwak'wala language Critically endangeredPrimarily in Canada
Lake Miwok language Critically endangered
Luiseño language Critically endangered
Lushootseed language Critically endangered
Maidu language Critically endangered
Makah language Critically endangered
Malecite-Passamaquoddy language Definitely endangeredPrimarily in Canada
Maliseet-Passamaquoddy language Severely endangered
Mandan language0Critically endangeredExtinct, current attempt at revival.
Maricopa language Severely endangered
Massachusett languageFive child speakers; 400 adult learnersVulnerableCurrent attempts at revival; Bible translated into the language in 1663
Menominee language Critically endangered
Mescalero-Chiricahua Apache language Definitely endangered
Mescalero-Chiricahua Apache language Critically endangered
Micmac language Vulnerable
Mikasuki language Vulnerable
Mohave language Severely endangered
Mohave language Severely endangered
Mohawk language Vulnerable
Mohawk language Vulnerable
Mohawk language Vulnerable
Mono language Critically endangered
Mono language Critically endangered
Montana Salish language Critically endangered
Munsee language Critically endangered
Navajo language Vulnerable
Nez Perce language Critically endangered
Inupiat language Severely endangeredNorth Alaskan: Kotzebue Sound & North Slope
Northern Haida language Critically endangeredPrimarily in Canada
Northern Paiute language Critically endangered
Northern Paiute language Definitely endangered
Northern Paiute language Critically endangered
Northern Pomo language Critically endangered
Northern Sierra Miwok language Critically endangered
Northern Straits Salish language Critically endangered
O'odham language Vulnerable
O'odham language Vulnerable
Ojibwe language Vulnerable
Okanagan language Definitely endangeredPrimarily in Canada
Omaha-Ponca language Critically endangered
Oneida language Critically endangeredAlso in Canada
Oneida language Critically endangered
Onondaga language Critically endangeredAlso in Canada
Osage language Vulnerable
Ottawa language Critically endangeredAlso in Canada
Pacific Gulf Yupik language Severely endangered
Panamint language Critically endangered
Patwin language Critically endangered
Pawnee language Critically endangered
Picuris language Vulnerable
Plains Sign Talk Critically endangered
Potawatomi language Critically endangered
Potawatomi language Critically endangered
Potawatomi language Critically endangered
Potawatomi language Critically endangered
Quechan language Definitely endangered
Rio Grande Keresan language Definitely endangeredKeresan languages
Sahaptin language Severely endangered
Sauk-Fox language Critically endangered
Seneca language Severely endangered
Seward Peninsula Inupiaq language Critically endangeredInupiat language
Seward Peninsula Inupiaq language Critically endangeredInupiat language
Seward Peninsula Inupiaq language Critically endangeredInupiat language
Shawnee language Vulnerable
Shoshoni language Vulnerable
Shoshoni language Vulnerable
Shoshoni language Vulnerable
Sioux language VulnerableDakota, Nakota, and Lakota
Southern Paiute language Severely endangered
Southern Pomo language Critically endangered
Southern Sierra Miwok language Critically endangered
Southern Tiwa language Definitely endangered
Southern Tiwa language Definitely endangered
Spokane language Critically endangeredInterior Salish languages, Montana Salish language
Straits Salish language Severely endangeredPrimarily in Canada
Tanacross language Critically endangered
Tanaina language Severely endangered
Tanana language Critically endangered
Taos language Definitely endangered
Tewa language Definitely endangered
Tewa language Severely endangered
Tipai language Severely endangered
Tlingit language Critically endangered
Tolowa language Critically endangered
Tubatulabal language Critically endangered
Tule-Kaweah Yokuts Critically endangered
Tuscarora language Critically endangered
Upland Yuman language Vulnerable
Upper Kuskokwim language Critically endangered
Upper Tanana language Critically endangered
Ute language Vulnerable
Ute language Vulnerable
Ute language Vulnerable
Valley Yokuts Severely endangered
Washo language Severely endangered
Western Apache language Vulnerable
Winnebago language Severely endangered
Winnebago language Severely endangered
Wintu-Nomlaki language, Wintu language Critically endangeredWintuan languages
Yaqui language Definitely endangered
Yavapai language Severely endangered
Yuchi language Critically endangered
Yurok language Critically endangered
Zuni language Vulnerable