Athabaskanspeaking

Athabaskanspeaking refers to the communities and languages that belong to the Athabaskan branch of the Na-Dene language family. These languages are spoken across western North America, with concentrations in Alaska, western Canada, and the American Southwest. Within Na-Dene, Athabaskan languages are typically divided into three main groups: Northern Athabaskan, Pacific Coast Athabaskan, and Apachean (Southern Athabaskan). Major languages include Navajo and Apachean languages in the Southwest; Northern Athabaskan languages such as Dena'ina, Ahtna, Koyukon, Gwich'in, Hän, Slavey, and Chipewyan (Dene Suline).

Geographic distribution: Speakers are found in Alaska and western Canada; Navajo and Apache languages in the Southwest.

Linguistic features: The languages are known for complex verbal morphology and polysynthesis; verbs can incorporate subjects, objects, and other grammatical categories; many have consonant inventories that include ejectives; tone is present in some languages.

Status: Many languages have small numbers of speakers and are considered endangered; revitalization efforts include community language programs, immersion schools, and documentation projects; some languages have official recognition or ongoing education initiatives.