Indian languages
Indian peoples
What's new on our site today!
Beaver Indian Language (Dane-zaa, Dunne-za)
Language: Beaver, known to its own speakers as Danezaa, is an
Athabaskan language
of Northern Canada. The Beaver language is spoken by about 300 people in British Columbia and Alberta.
Although most older people in the community can still speak or understand Dane-zaa, it is considered endangered because
children are no longer learning it at home. Today some of the Beaver First Nations are working to change this
situation with language education classes on their reserves.
Like most Athabaskan languages,
Dane-zaa is a tone language with
SOV word order and is
agglutinating.
Thanks for your interest in Native American languages!
Sponsored Links
Names: In their own language, the Beavers call themselves Dane-zaa, which means "true people."
The English name "Beaver" is a translation of a band name in their own language, Tsa-dane, meaning
"beaver people." Alternate spellings of these names include Danezaa, Daneza, Dane Zaa, Dunne-za, Dunne Za, Dunneza;
Tsaa-dane, Tsa-dene, Tsattine, Tsa-tinne, and Tza-tinne.
Beaver Language
Beaver language samples and resources.
Beaver Nation Culture and History
Information and links about the Beaver tribe past and present.
Beaver Indians Facts
Our answers to common questions about the lifestyle of Beaver Indian people.
Beaver Legends
Introduction to the mythology of the Beaver Indians.
Our Online Beaver Materials
Beaver Vocabulary:
List of vocabulary words in the Beaver language, with comparison to words in other Athabaskan languages.
Beaver Pronunciation Guide:
How to pronounce Beaver words.
Beaver Picture Dictionary:
Illustrated glossary of animal words in the Beaver language.
Beaver Body Parts:
Online and printable worksheets showing pa
rts of the body in the Beaver language.
Beaver Dictionaries and Language Books for Sale
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links
A Vocabulary of the Beaver Indian Language:
Beaver dictionary from the 19th century for sale online.
Beaver Texts:
Collection of oral history and traditional stories in Beaver with English translation.
Athabaskan Prosody:
Linguistics book about tone, stress, and vowel length in Beaver and other Athabaskan languages.
Manual of Devotion in the Beaver Indian dialect:
Translation of Christian prayers into the Beaver language.
Native American Language Books:
Beaver and other American Indian dictionaries and language materials for sale.
Beaver Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions
First Nations Languages of British Columbia:
Language map showing the location where Dunneza (Beaver) is spoken.
Dane-zaa Stories and Songs: Dreamers and the Land:
Videos of Beaver elders telling stories and singing songs in their traditional language.
Dane-zaa, the Beaver Language:
Beaver vocabulary and soundfiles from the Doig River First Nation.
Danezaa Written Language:
Orthography and resources for learning to read and write Danezaa.
Bibliography of Materials on the Beaver Language:
Bibliography of Beaver linguistic works.
Athapaskan Languages of Canada:
Place names in Tutchone, Slave, and Beaver.
Beaver Prayers:
Beaver translation of the Hail Mary prayer.
House of Languages: Beaver:
Information about Beaver language usage.
The Dreamers:
Documentary film on the history and usage of the Dane-zaa language.
Wikipedia: Dane Zaa Language:
Encyclopedia article on the Beaver language including a phonological inventory.
Beaver Language Tree:
Theories about Beaver's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.
The Bible in Beaver: 
Beaver Words of Life:
Translation of the New Testament into the Beaver language.
Alberta teacher races to save dying Indigenous language:
Article about a tribal project to revitalize the Beaver language.
Dane-zaa Záágé':
Archive of Beaver language information from the Virtual Museum of Canada.
Beaver Papers:
Archive of linguistics papers on Beaver/Dane-zaa, in English and Spanish.
Sponsored Links
Links, References, and Additional Information
La Lengua Beaver:
Information about the Beaver language in Spanish.
OLAC: Beaver:
Reference list of Beaver language materials.
Beaver:
Dunne-za link pages.
BC First Nations Language Authorities:
Contact information for the Dane-zaa and other British Columbia tribal language departments.
Back to the index of American Indian tribes
Read our Native Americans website for children
Learn more about Canadian First Nations
Native movie site
Native sign language
Lodge pictures
Native hat
Would you like to sponsor our work on the Beaver Indian language?
Native Languages of the Americas website © 1998-2021 Contacts and FAQ page
Beaver Language Resources