Inuvialuktun

=Introduction=

Inuvialuktun, a component of the Western Canadian Inuit language cluster—including Inuktitut, Inuktut, and Inuktun—encompasses diverse Inuit language variations spoken in the northern regions of the Northwest Territories. This linguistic heritage is upheld by the Canadian Inuit community known as Inuvialuit. It is consisted of three primary dialects: Uummarmiutun, Sallirmiutun, and Kangiryuarmiutun.

=Background=

Inuvialuktun, situated in Canada, is predominantly spoken in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut regions. The ethnic group associated with this language is the Inuvialuit, numbering 3,110 individuals.

As of the 2016 census, Inuvialuktun boasts 680 native speakers, constituting 22% of the ethnic Inuvialuit population. The language is classified within the Eskimo–Aleut family, Eskaleut subgroup, Inuit branch, specifically identified as Inuvialuktun. It has evolved from early forms such as Proto-Eskaleut, Proto-Eskimoan, and Proto-Inuit.

Distinct dialects within Inuvialuktun include Siglitun (Sallirmiutun), Inuinnaqtun, Natsilingmiutut, Uummarmiutun, and Kangiryuarmiutun. The writing system employed is based on the Latin script and Syllabics.

Inuvialuktun holds official language status in both the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Regulation of the language is overseen by the Inuvialuit Cultural Centre and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. Language codes include ISO 639-1 (iu) and ISO 639-2 (iku for Inuktitut). Additionally, ISO 639-3 codes identify Inuinnaqtun as "ikt" and Western Canadian Inuktitut as "ikt." Glottolog recognizes Western Canadian Inuktitut with the code "west2618."

=Distribution=

The Inuvialuktun language is spoken by the Inuit residing in the Mackenzie River delta, Banks Island, a section of Victoria Island, and the Arctic Ocean coast in the Northwest Territories—specifically within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Traditionally categorized under the broader term Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun is, in fact, a politically motivated grouping representing three distinct and separate varieties. These include Sallirmiutun (formerly Siglitun or Inuvialuktun proper), the Kangiryuarmiutun dialect of Inuinnaqtun on Victoria Island to the East, and the Uummarmiutun dialect of Iñupiaq around Inuvik and Aklavik to the West.

Inuvialuktun, Inuinnaqtun, and Inuktitut are recognized as three of the eleven official languages of the Northwest Territories. Additionally, Inuinnaqtun shares official status with Inuktitut in Nunavut.

Regrettably, the Inuvialuktun dialects face a serious endangerment status, with English increasingly becoming the predominant language within the community. Surveys assessing Inuktitut usage in the NWT suggest varied levels, but a consensus indicates that its usage is not robust. Statistics from Canada's 2016 Census reveal that out of the 3,110 Inuvialuit, 680 (22%) speak some form of Inuktitut, and 550 (18%) use it at home. Considering the significant presence of non-Inuit residents in Inuvialuit areas and the absence of a unified dialect among the already diminished number of speakers, the outlook for the Inuit language in the NWT appears grim.

=History=

Inuvialuktun, during the Great Inuit Migration, was primarty developed as the transitional language between the Alaskan Iñupiatun and the Eastern Canadian Inuktitut. It differentiated itself from Iñupiatun around 1,000 to 800 years ago as the Mackenzie dialect, and developed independently with having influeces from neighboring Iñupiaq, Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut, and Gwich'in.

Before the 20th century, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region was predominantly occupied by the Siglit Inuit, speakers of Siglitun. However, in the latter half of the 19th century, their population experienced a significant decline due to the introduction of new diseases. In the 1910s and 1920s, Inuit from Alaska migrated into the traditionally Siglit areas, attracted in part by the renewed demand for furs from the Hudson's Bay Company. Referred to as Uummarmiut, meaning "people of the green trees," these newcomers established settlements near the tree line.

Initially, there existed a strong animosity between the Siglit and the Uummarmiut. However, over the years, these differences have diminished, and the two communities are now thoroughly integrated.

Currently, Inuvialuktun is the official language of Northwest Territories and Yukon Slope of the Yukon (under the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation). With diversification and political groups, each of 3 dialects of Inuvialuktun (Uummarmiutun, Sallirmiutun, Kangiryuarmiutun) has varying characteristics. Uummarmiutun is sometimes considered as a dialect of Alaskan Iñupiatun, while Kangiryuarmiutun is sometimes considered as a dialect of Central Canadian Inuinnaqtun.

=Phonology=

In general, Inuit languages exhibit a consonant inventory of fifteen and include three distinct vowel qualities, each with phonemic length distinctions. While Inupiatun and Qawiaraq feature retroflex consonants, it's notable that retroflexes have vanished in all Canadian and Greenlandic dialects.

=Writing System=

Inuvialuktun and Inuinnaqtun are represented using the Latin alphabet, lacking a tradition of Inuktitut syllabics. Nonetheless, the dialects spoken in Nunavut, specifically east of the Inuinnaqtun region, utilize syllabics.

=Dialects=

Invialuktun is a politically grouped language made up of 3 dialects: Uummarmiutun, Sallirmiutun (Siglitun), and Kangiryuarmiutun.

1. Uummarmiutun:

Uummarmiutun, or also known as Canadian Iñupiatun or Mackenzie Iñupiatun is a dialect of Iñupiatun and Inuvialuktun spoken in Mackenzie Delta of Northwest Territories, in the settlements of Aklavik and Inuvik. Uummarmiutun was lastly incorporated into Inuvialuktun as migration of Alaskan Iñupiat happened in 1910s and 1920s due to diseases. As they were mostly migratrated from North Slope dialect region of Alaska, Uummarmiutun to this day preserves its very close linguistic connections with the Alaskan counterparts.

2. Sallirmiutun (Siglitun)

Sallimiut, or formerly known as Siglitun or Inuvialuktun-Proper, is the central and proper dialect of Inuvialuktun. Mostly spoken in settlements of Inuvik, Saachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk, and Paulatuk, it is the most widely spoken dialect of the language. The dialect is distinctive from both Iñupiatun and Inuinnaqtun with some shared similarities.

3. Kangiryuarmiutun

Kangiryuarmiutun is the dialect of Inuvialuktun and Inuinnaqtun spoken in the western half of the Victoria Island in Northwest Territories, Canada. Being the smallest and least spoken dialect of Inuvialuktun, it is only primarily spoken in Ulukhaktok. It has very close connections with other dialects of Inuinaaqtun spoken in Kitikmeot, Nunavut.