This paper examines language vitality in Canada using the 2011 Census and National Household Survey data on mother tongue and conversational second language use. The Census of Population groups Aboriginal Languages into 12 families: Dene was measured as having 11,860 mother tongue speakers in 2011, lower than Cree (83,000) but higher than many others including Stoney, Blackfoot, and Innu. In addition, 67.9% of mother tongue Dene speakers reported using Dene most often at home, with a further 21.1% using it regularly in the home. Across Canada, people were more likely to speak their Aboriginal Language at home when they lived in a community (or census subdivision) where a high proportion of people shared that language. They were less likely to use it regularly if they moved to an area where most people had a different mother tongue, such as English or French. Between all Inuit, Métis, and First Nations communities in Canada in 2011, 21.7% of those able to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal Language had acquired it as a second language.

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Langlois, Stéphanie and Annie Turner. “Aboriginal Languages and Selected Vitality Indicators in 2011.” Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 89-655 (2014).