Writing system Nisg̱a’a Script (NAPA) | Native speakers 2,818 (2014, FPCC) | |
Ethnicity 5,430 Nisga’a people (2014, FPCC) Language family TsimshianNass–GitksanNisga’a | ||
Nisga’a (also Nass, Nisgha, Nisg̱a’a, Nishka, Niska, Nishga, Nisqa’a) is a Tsimshianic language of the Nisga'a people of northwestern British Columbia. Nisga'a people, however, dislike the term Tshimshianic as they feel that it gives precedence to Coast Tsimshian. Nisga’a is very closely related to Gitksan. Indeed, many linguists regard Nisga’a and Gitksan as dialects of a single Nass–Gitksan language. The two are generally treated as distinct languages out of deference to the political separation of the two groups.
History and usage
Anglican missionary James Benjamin McCullagh conducted much early linguistic work in Nisga’a, preparing translations of parts of the Bible and Book of Common Prayer as well as a Nisga’a primer for students.
Like almost all other First Nations languages of British Columbia, Nisga’a is an endangered language. As of the 2006 census, there are over 1,000 speakers out of a total ethnic population of around 6,000.