Dictionary: Northern Michif
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Dictionary: Northern Michif
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  • Please provide some background information about this language. Where is it spoken? What communities speak this language? Is this language endangered?
  • What are the names of the people who built this dictionary? Whose voices are in this dictionary?
  • Where did the data in this dictionary come from? Please describe if you collected the data yourself. If you used any published reference sources, please list them.
  • Who will be using this dictionary? Will it be used in any educational projects?
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Michif originated as an oral language in the late 1700s and eventually became a written language in the early 1900s. At the same time it also became known by several different names such as: French Cree, Mitchif, ann krii, Métchif, Mitif, Cree, Michif Cree, Turtle Mountain Chippewa Cree and Mechif. Due to the fact that Michif developed without institutions like education systems and government, it developed based on the community and the geographical areas that it is spoken and written in. 

 

Part of the reason for this is due to the fact that Michif is a contact language which emerged from the joining of settlers and Indigenous people. As Indigenous women married settler men, new communities were formed and these community developed their own unique language which was neither First Nation nor European. Variations of this language is often spoken in Métis communities within much of Canada as well as in Métis communities within Montana.

 

Unfortunately due to various assimilationist and imperialist policies and actions by both the Canadian and American governments, fear of prosecution proved to be effective at stamping on this language. Despite this however, Michif still survives and now will hopefully begin to bloom and flourish more vibrant than before.

 

This Northern Michif Living Dictionary contains data from an online language learning course created by the Rupertsland Institute in collaboration with 7000 Languages. Dictionary entries are accompanied by audio recordings by Métis educator, Sandra Davenport. Data was imported by Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages. 

 

This dictionary is primarily meant to be used in educational courses made by the Rupertsland Institute, including the one made in collaboration with 7000 languages. As such while the main target audience are the students of the Rupertsland Institute courses made in collaboration with 7000 languages, we hope that it will be a useful resource for anyone who finds an interest in both the Métis people and the Michif language. 



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