Cree, Woods
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A language of Canada
ISO 639-3
Alternate Names
Cri des bois
Autonym
Nīhithawīwin, ᓀᐦᐃᖬᐍᐏᐣ (nīhithawīwin)
Population
1,840 (2016 census). Ethnic population: 53,000 (1982 SIL).
Location
Far north Manitoba into Saskatchewan, inland southwest from Churchill.
Language Maps
Language Status
6b* (Threatened). Language of recognized indigenous peoples: Barren Lands, Beaver Lake Cree, Bunibonibee Cree, Chemawawin Cree, Cross Lake Band of Indians, Duncan’s, Fort McKay, Fort McMurray, Lac La Ronge, Montreal Lake, Nisichawayasihk Cree, O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree, Peerless Trout, Peter Ballantyne Cree, Red Earth, Shoal Lake Cree, Sturgeon Lake Cree, Sucker Creek, Swan River, Woodland Cree.
Classification
Dialects
Nonpalatalized th-dialect within Cree-Montagnais-Naskapi language complex or dialect subgroup. A member of macrolanguage Cree [cre].
Language Use
Also use English [eng].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 1%–5%. Literacy rate in L2: 50%–75%.
Language Resources
Use of Roman orthography has been gaining ground at the expense of the older syllabic system, due to university language and teacher education programs (Golla 2007).